Possession
by Nautica Dawn
Summary: Two scholars must find out the truth behind the people they have dedicated their lives to studying. Between the blood and the lines, between the words written in tears, there are answers to questions that were never meant to be asked. [AU][ItaSaku][FIN]
1. Prelude: A Bitter Farewell

**_Possession_**

_Hikari Adams_

A/N: This is based off of one of the novels in my mother's office that was made into a movie a few years ago. The idea came to me when I was having trouble with my other stories (yes, I know it's stupid of me to start a new story when I've got so many others. But most of them are drabble series). It is my first serious attempt at ItaSaku. Considering the fact that it's ItaSaku, I think the AU warning is a little redundant. Still, I'm sorry, no ninjas in this.

Disclaimer: Me no own. The OCs and the poems (unless stated otherwise) are mine.

**Warning**: I wrote most of these poems over five years ago, so most of them absolutely _**SUCK**_. Please be kind about it.

* * *

**Prelude**

**A Bitter Farewell**

"_Feel the golden sun, reining over our small world, till the dark night comes."_

The auditorium was hushed, waiting with baited breath for the young woman standing on the stage to finish her presentation.

She took a deep breath, feeling her entire life coming to a climax. She reminded herself that this was what she had worked for. She had spent grueling years scouring the country and the dark abysses of the various libraries and museums, private and public, for information concerning the topic.

With spidery fingers the color of snow, she reached up to brush a stray lock of raven hair out of her face, ebony eyes full of excitement.

"It was with these final three lines that the greatest poet in the history of the Land of Fire ended her last poem. It was an epic work, aptly titled, _A Bitter Farewell_," She sucked in more air, nervousness bringing her black painted nails to grip at the cuffs of her sleeves, the crimson fleece comforting in the chilly air, "Haruno Sakura was not only a brilliant writer, but she was a fundamental part of life in Konoha almost two hundred and fifty years ago. She helped create the medical system we have here, but most importantly, she gave us a look into the mind of a woman living in a time when women were not supposed to think," Her tongue flicked out, wetting her quickly chapping lips. The action briefly returned their natural cherry blossom color before fading once more, "It was almost sixty years after her death that she became into the fame that she is in now. Before then, she was simply known in footnotes as the wife of Hatake Kakashi, the advisor to the Rokudaime Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto. After her extensive collection of poetry and short stories came to be known, she became a pillar of strength in our history. She is both a role model and a hero for the youth of today. Gender does not matter in her case, for Haruno Sakura is the one poet that can be loved and appreciated by all."

She smiled broadly, sighing as all tenseness disappeared, "Thank you."

The applause was immediate. She was surprised to find herself laughing gently as people began standing, praising her for the presentation.

She bowed lightly and walked gracefully offstage. She was still smiling, her cheeks flushed with happiness, when she exited the building.

The air was chilly, as it always was in the autumn season in Konoha.

"Uchiha Miyako."

She froze in her place on the steps outside the large building, grimacing as she spun on her heels.

"Uzumaki Arashi," She returned with the same amount of mocking venom he had added to her name.

His eyes, bluer than the clear skies of summer, showed his displeasure, "Interesting report on Haruno, but you forgot a poet when you mention the part about being favored by all."

She scowled, "And just who would that be?"

The wind rushed past the two, the starless night that made up her hair blowing in the wind, his own sunshine hair simply moving gently, too short to do too much.

"Uchiha Itachi," Arashi said as nonchalantly as any being could be, "I would have thought you'd have at least mentioned your own kinsmen."  
Miyako smirked, "I'm a descendant of Uchiha Sasuke. Unless you've forgotten your history, the two brothers weren't on good terms with one another. Itachi is considered to be the family disgrace, so if you would be so kind, I'd like it if you never mentioned him around me again. I understand that you are a scholar of his works, but please spare me."

The blonde sighed, "Is that why you chose Haruno Sakura? She was a close friend of Sasuke's, and of Uzumaki Naruto, my own ancestor. Surely she had something to do with your family. She was an integral part of mine after all."

"No," She deadpanned, "The child that I am directly descended from is the first Uchiha Miyako. She's notorious for having a deep hatred of Sakura. But her younger brother, Uchiha Akira, he did like her, as did their parents, Uchiha Sasuke and his wife Hanabi."

"Then why her?"

She shifted her weight and crossed her arms, "Because she's an enigma."

"So was Itachi," He retorted as he smiled.

"So he was," Miyako agreed, "But he had almost nothing to do with my family."

Arashi's grin took on a feral quality as he handed her a large binder, "I think you might want to change that opinion," He nodded towards the record in her hands, "That's new information concerning Uchiha Itachi that came up a few weeks ago in my department. I thought it might interest you."

She rolled her eyes dramatically and flipped open the cover, reading the first few pages with disinterest. Arashi's grin turned to an ever-broadening smirk as she turned another page, coming upon an ancient and worn letter inside a clear slip.

She quickly scanned the letter, onyx eyes become wide with shock.

"But this is—"

He nodded, "Yep. I thought you'd like it."

"This is," Her breath was coming in short puffs as confusion quickly took hold, "No, this is impossible! I have her diaries, her letters, everything. There's no mention of this. I have read everything that so much as mentions her. Never has it said this before."

"But it is there," His tone was serious and she glanced up at him to see that the mischievous glint had disappeared from his expression, "It's not the only one. Deidara seemed certain that Itachi knew Sakura."

Miyako stared up at him, breathless, "What do you want Uzumaki?"

"Work with me. I want answers just as badly as you do."

* * *

A/N: This won't follow the novel, or the movie, exactly, but it was inspired by it and that's what is important. --**Big Chibi Wobbly Eyes--** Please review. 


	2. Chapter One: Every Heart

_**Possession**_

_Chapter One_

_Every Heart_

* * *

_A white world where I feel safe_

_It's here just once a year_

* * *

Miyako sighed, staring at the clock on her desk. It said it was late night, or early morning, depending on how one looked at it.

She flicked the ancient notebook closed, opening another in its place.

"There has to be something here, Sakura was methodical about everything. She recorded everything," She sat back, staring at the spidery script running across the yellowing page, "Meeting Uchiha Itachi was something that she would have mentioned. Even if it was in code, it should be here."

* * *

_The place where I am happiest_

_Those warm summer days I spend with you_

* * *

A young woman sighed heavily, closing the notebook as she set her pen down upon her worn desk. She ran a hand through her locks of pastel pink hair, emerald eyes shining with ambivalence. 

"Sakura?"

The woman straightened up, turning in her seat to see a beautiful blonde leaning against the doorway.

"Yes Tsunade?"

The older woman smiled softly, "I need you to go the gates a pick up that shipment of vaccines that's coming in today from Kirigakure."

"Yes Tsunade," Sakura chimed, standing up and heading out. She brushed past her mentor, smoothing out the wrinkles in her medic's uniform.

* * *

_They are so far away_

_A white world where everything is pure_

* * *

A glass smashed against the wall of Miyako's study. As if on cue, her cousin came bursting into the room. 

"Everything all right?"

The older girl stopped in the entrance to the room, seeing the young scholar bent over in her chair, cradling her head in her hands.

"I'll take that as a no," She said, moving to kneel down before the stressed young lady, "What's up?"

Miyako raised her head enough to stare pitifully at the newcomer, onyx meeting soft violet.

"Nothing is going the way I expected it to Umeko. I've searched everything. There's nothing that so much as hints at a meeting between Sakura and Itachi."

Umeko straightened her back, remaining in her kneeling position. Her violet eyes were contemplative as she cocked her head to the side and stared blankly at her younger cousin, dark chocolate hair falling down to the floor when it slid off her shoulder.

"Uchiha Itachi?"

"Yes," Miyako glanced behind Umeko at the smashed glass across the room, "And sorry about that."

She shrugged, "Not a problem. But if you're really curious about Itachi, we've got a ton of old things of his up in the attic. There might even be some of Sakura's things," She laughed softly, "I used to play up there with my brothers all the time, but I was so young that I can't really remember everything I saw."

It was enough for Miyako. The younger girl slid out of her chair, eyes desperate as she grasped her cousin's shoulders.

"I don't care. I need any and all information that might be up there. Please, just tell me what I need to know when I go up there."  
Umeko raised an eyebrow in surprise, "Okay, just tell me you'll go with someone. It's kind of dangerous up there and I'd feel better if you had someone with you."  
She nodded, "I'm working with that Uzumaki jerk on this. He'll be there."

* * *

_I hide there in the trees_

_Far from the cold_

* * *

Sakura shivered as she pulled her burgundy coat closer to her body. It was winter in Konoha, and Konoha winters were brutal. Something about temperate climate zones and the way the winds blew through the area. She wasn't really sure. With Haruno Sakura, unless it was happening inside a patient's body, she didn't really care.

At least, that was the way most people thought.

Personally, Sakura really didn't care about the weather, just that it wasn't Snow Country cold or Wind Country hot.

A blast of arctic wind ripped through her clothes, making her pull the coat even tighter around her. She was certain that if pulled any tighter, seams would begin ripping.

She smiled and thanked the young man that handed off the load of medicine to the chilled medic.

"Sakura!"

She turned to the side, seeing a head of midnight blue running towards her. She smiled warmly in return.

"Hello Hinata. How have you been?"

The lilac-eyed girl nodded, "I've been fine, but I've been worried about you. After the mess with Kotetsu, I kept hearing that you were a little…"

She trailed off, leaving Sakura's rather sardonic inner mind to complete the sentence.

She smiled stiffly, "It's all right Hinata," She replied coolly, "My parents have already patched things up and repaired the family name."

"Oh?"

Sakura rolled her green eyes, dreading her future, "Yes. At the end of September I am to be wed to Hatake Kakashi."

The young Hyuga gasped, "What? But he's too old for you Sakura!"

The medic bit back a sharp retort. She knew what Hinata really meant to say. '_You are a fool for letting Kotetsu go. If you had just shut up and married him, you wouldn't be stuck with one of the oldest bachelors in the country_.' She hated to think that, but Hinata was the product of her clan, and as innocent as she might be, she would forever be tainted by their impossibly high standards. She sometimes pitied Hinata as the first-born. Hanabi had been so lucky to be the second daughter.

"It's all right Hinata. It's better than being a spinster my entire life."

Translation: '_At least I'm getting married, unlike you, the weak Hyuga that can't find a suitor at all._'

Again, it was cruel, but the world was cruel and it was the truth. She loved Hinata, she really did, but sometimes the girl's idealistic and sometimes old-fashioned views of the world grated Sakura's already frayed nerves.

"Yes, I suppose it is," Hinata replied airily. Sakura could see in those blank Hyuga eyes that Hinata's mind had traveled to the sun that smelled like that Ichiraku restaurant from down the road.

She sighed, "I have to be going now, Tsunade wants these vaccines as soon as possible."

Hinata nodded and left, leaving Sakura to trudge down Konoha's streets alone. It had been a lie, but it had let Sakura return to the relative safety of the hospital.

* * *

_It is a place I call home_

_It is a place for me_

* * *

Miyako sat in the darkness of the expansive Uchiha library, pouring over the letters that had been exchanged between Sakura and Sasuke over the years. There was nothing out of the ordinary, just the usual talk between a married woman and her friend that just so happened to be her childhood sweetheart. 

"Okay, so these are a little more intimate that most letters I'd find," She grumbled, pulling out yet another aging paper, "They're like siblings! Can't they talk about something other than nostalgia or her poetry?"

She froze, seeing something that had been scrawled at the bottom of the page. The words were worn, and difficult to read, but she could make them out enough to call for her cousin's aid.

"Yes?" Umeko asked once she arrived.

Miyako held up the letter in question, "This mentions a private set of original drafts of some poems in a collection called _Minnano Kimochi._ I've never heard of it before, and it's not in these records," She took a deep breath, "I was wondering if you knew anything about it."

Umeko simply took the letter from her, violet eyes scanning the page.

"It's in the attic," She answered bluntly, "It's what my brothers used to teach me how to read."

The scholar groaned, "So I'll have to wait for the baka in order to see it"

"Pretty much."

Miyako reclined in her chair, "Brilliant. Just brilliant."

* * *

_Somewhere I can be me_

_The person I always wanted to be_

* * *

It was November when she began writing. Those poems were her portals to escape from the dreary life her parents had condemned her to. 

It wasn't until the comfortable October, almost seven years after her marriage, that she was able to smile again.

She was twenty-four, and she knew that her smile was for all the wrong reasons.

* * *

_In the starless nights of autumn_

_The crimson moon beyond the clouds_

_Is all I need to carry on_

_For every heart still beats within this breast_

* * *

AN: Those last four lines were not a part of the original poem. The original is a fragment I wrote some years ago, and stumbled upon while writing this. It is the first of the poems from the _Minnano Kimochi_ (trans: Every Heart) that will appear in this story. It is six minutes to minight on Thrusday and I am happy to get this out before Friday. 


	3. Chapter Two: Unending Dream

**_Possession_**

_Chapter Two_

_Unending Dream_

* * *

_I hope you can hear me_

_From where you are_

_

* * *

_

Arashi sighed, running a hand through his yellow hair.

"This is absolutely hopeless," He mumbled, glaring again at the countless tomes in front of him, "There's nothing here."

"You'd be better off waiting until you go to the Uchiha prefecture tomorrow with Miyako, she's more likely to have something."

He turned around in his chair and glared at the intruder instead, "Thank you dear Hanako. But you're my sister, could you at least be a little more supportive?"

She smirked, "What do you need?"

"Well," He absentmindedly picked up one of the volumes, "I'm looking for anything in here that might be evidence to an actual meeting between Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi."

The blonde girl breathed deeply and took a seat next to him, "I don't really spend a lot of time in here Arashi. I do remember a series of letters going between two of Itachi's friends though. I thought they were so hilarious when I was younger."

"I know the letters exchanged between Deidara and Sasori."

"No," She shook her head, "I think it was to Kisame, not Sasori."

The typically loud scholar fell silent as he mentally ran through the entire Uzumaki library. Realization spread across his face as he leaned over and pulled a small binder out of a box.

"These?"

She quickly flipped through them, "Yeah, this is it," She closed it and handed it back, "The best way to find out about people is to ask their friends, you're probably better off with this than you are going over Itachi's things. Besides, if it were in the public records, someone would have noticed by now. Chances are it's in the private collection that Sasuke never got rid of."

He smiled at his sister, "Thanks Hana," Blue eyes flickered up to the clock on the wall, "It's late, why don't you go get some sleep. It's going to be a long day for you tomorrow."

* * *

_I was lost in the sea_

_Of the night that gave me this scar_

* * *

"Honestly Itachi, you're the next clan head, can't you think of the clan for once!" 

Said heir merely sat apathetically by the window of the study.

"I do think of the clan Father, but marriage has never been something I've been particularly fond of."

The answer didn't seem to be what his father wanted. The older man walked over to his son, half pleading, half demanding, "Itachi, this is important. Sasuke is five years your junior and already he has an engagement to the daughter of the Hyuga head. You're twenty-two Itachi. It's time for you to settle down."

"Father," He turned his onyx eyes away from the window, staring blankly at the man before him, "You're sounding like Mother. And if you're that desperate for the future head to be married, then why not name Sasuke your successor?"

Uchiha Fugaku sighed heavily, knowing the battle that had been waged for five years was finally over.

"Very well, but that means that you are to be out of this house by the end of the month."

Itachi smirked, "Understood."

"And you get to tell your mother."

The smirk vanished.

* * *

_If it not for my heart_

_This feat I would not be trying_

* * *

Arashi straightened up in his seat, rereading the letter under his breath, "_Itachi has been working on a new collection of poems. I haven't been able to see anything, just that they seem to be more riddle than anything. The collection has been titled Owari nai Yume. He said it was a private book for a friend. Which means we will know nothing._" 

"What does that mean?"

"I thought I told you to go to sleep Hana."

His sister merely laughed and resumed her place in the chair beside him, "I couldn't sleep. Is it so wrong that I want to help my big brother?"

His eyes, in the faint light of the desk lamp seemed to be almost a blank slate blue. Hanako laughed slightly at the sight, thinking it made him look like the stuffy Hyuga in their family tree.

"We're twins Hana," He droned, "I'm not that much older."

"Are you going to answer my question?"

He glared, "Yes," He held up the letter, "This is from Deidara to Kisame. Turns out you were right."

"I'm always right and that's not an answer," Hanako teased.

"Itachi shared an apartment with Deidara after he moved out of the Uchiha district. By apartment I mean it covered an entire floor above the Yamanaka flower shop and that little bakery that Hinata owned before marrying Naruto. Itachi stayed there because as a poet, he liked creative atmospheres. As a sculptor Deidara easily created one."

"Are you sure they weren't gay?"

His glare returned, "Both were rumored to be. But that's just it; they were _rumored_. Deidara was having an affair with a Hyuga from the main family, and as a result refused other women. He was fiercely loyal to her. As for Itachi," He sighed, "That's what we're trying to figure out. Records show he was never interested in women, and that's what led to Sasuke being named the clan head, but there must have been someone. No one can live their life all alone like that."

"And you think it may have been Haruno Sakura."

He held up the letter that had sparked the investigation, "So did Deidara."

* * *

_To forever forget my part_

_The sound I always hear is your crying_

* * *

Itachi could hear Deidara at work in his studio. It had been three months since he had left his family, and he wasn't sure if he was really happy with it. 

For one, the poems and stories he wrote for local publications were not on par with past work. He was beginning to think the blonde down the hall was right, he had lost all inspiration.

He sighed and went back to staring at the street two stories below his window. From his place he could see the young Hyuga girl sweeping the steps of her bakery directly below him. Across the street he could see that sadist spinster Anko sitting at a dango restaurant. Yamanaka was pruning the holly bushes in front of her store, her husband-to-be, and the Akimichi heir, hauling things into the shop with her father.

Just when he thought life outside his window couldn't possible be interesting, he caught sight of something pink.

Sitting up straight, he could see a young woman with cherry blossom hair walking towards the Yamanaka place. Her burgundy coat revealed the collar of a medic's uniform underneath.

"So that's her," He mumbled to himself, "The young Hatake bride."

Her eyes flickered up to the sky, and even from the distance he was at, he could tell that her eyes were emerald green.

If he had such a thing as a muse, it was whispering in his ear that he should write about the personification of spring.

Everyone in Konoha knew of Haruno Sakura. She was the fiery and sharp-witted pupil of the Godaime Hokage, the Lady Tsunade. Her mentor had caused uproars across the nation when she had taken the title of Hokage, the leader of the Land of Fire. She was a woman in power, something that most believed should never happen. Sakura was like-minded, yet allowed herself to be controlled.

The girl was a walking definition of an enigma.

In a second, his pen was a flurry of movement over the paper on his desk.

* * *

_My soul is frozen_

_You knew me once_

* * *

"Arashi, you should really wait until Tuesday," Hanako explained softly as the clocks chimed three in the morning. 

"I'm spending tomorrow and Tuesday going through attics in the Uchiha prefecture with Miyako," Was his sleepy reply, blue eyes straining to keep reading the burring words.

She sighed, "You're my brother and I love you. You need to get some rest. Just do what you need to," She began cleaning the table, "Just come by the library sometime on Wednesday then. I can get you into the Historical Department there. You might find something."

He nodded and shut off the lamp, "Night Hana-chan."

She giggled, "Goodnight. And tell Miya-chan hello for me when you see her."

He was already gone by the time she ended the sentence.

* * *

_This place is a desolate land of tears eternally frozen_

_Listen to my voice as it is fading with the months_

* * *

The little sushi restaurant was full as Itachi sat quietly in the corner, watching the mysterious pink-haired woman eat a simply lunch with her Yamanaka friend. His notebook was open and off to the side, his pen lying untouched in front of it. His food was likewise untouched. 

"Someone's in a bad mood."

Itachi glanced up to see a cousin standing next to his table, "Hello Kakashi."

The younger Uchiha took the seat across from him, blocking his view of the medic, "I wouldn't be taking an interest in her if I were you, don't forget that she is my godfather's wife."

"I always thought Obito was a fool for naming his son after Hatake," He mumbled in return.

"I happen to like my name."

Itachi ignored him, "What do you know about her?"

"Not much," His younger cousin reached over to steal a piece of forgotten maki from the plate, "Just that she and my dear old namesake act more like friendly strangers than husband and wife," He paused, as if mentally testing the waters, "And she courted your brother for a few years."

The poet's eyes flickered over his shoulder to the girl in question, "She's interesting."

"So she is."

* * *

_Love, I so dearly miss you _

_Though I never knew you_

* * *

A/N: And the plot finally begins (It takes place in Arashi's time on a Sunday). I hate writing Itachi; he's a pain in the neck. But now more characters are being introduced, but Itachi and Sakura shouldn't be meeting before the fourth or fifth chapter (sorry). But Itachi will be watching her. After all, she's really fascinating in the time they live in. And the poem used will appear in the Owari nai Yume (trans: Unending Dream)-- **SUPER BIG WOBBLY CHIBI EYES--** Please review. 


	4. Chapter Three: Lost Words

_**Possession**_

_Chapter Three_

_Lost Words_

* * *

Miyako stood with her hands on her hips outside of the building they were beginning with. Arashi only smiled sheepishly and muttered something about stressed sisters and big museum exhibitions using the library. 

She just rolled her eyes and dragged him up to the attic.

"So where are we?" He asked in the gloom. Miyako was across the little clearing, forcing shutters to open and let in the sunlight.

She coughed through the cloud of dust stirred up by the now open window, "This was Sasuke's home before the remodeling done to the prefecture in his later years," She coughed again as another window was forced open, "By that time he was an old man and had already given the title of clan head to Akira, so I figured if anything existed, it would be here."

"What makes you so sure?" He asked, a cocky tone slipping into his voice.

Miyako just glared, "I do know enough about him to know that Itachi died fairly young. Sasuke outlived him by close to fifty years if I remember right. That was before the remodeling, long before."

The last window was opened, and the attic had flooded with light. Arashi almost groaned when he saw the vast number of trunks and old desks in the area. Dressers and countless boxes seemed to be filled with papers and old clothing.

"Do Uchiha ever throw away anything?"

"No, they're just like the Hyuga, everything is important to the clan."

He followed her through the labyrinth to a corner where she promptly opened another two windows and sat down on the floor with a _thud_.

"Why are you stopping, you were doing so well at choking us all with dust."

She glared again, "This is where the weasel's stuff is. Our best chances at finding anything will be here."

Arashi took a seat across from her, "Number one: don't call him that. He's a well-respected poet and he deserves more than that, regardless of what your idiotic family thinks of him. Number two: where do we start?"

"Well," She stood up, pushing up the sleeves of her navy sweater before diving both hands into a drawer, "These are some letters of his. They're completely random, so no promises."

"I'll start with those then."

She nodded and passed them over, slipping slightly on the hardwood floors in just her socks.

She corrected her posture, and pulled a box out of a trunk, "These are fragments or unpublished poems, I can start with them."

A hand shot out to stop her from opening the box.

"Let me do that," Arashi demanded softly, "You don't know Itachi's writing style the way I do."

To his surprise, she simply pushed the box towards him, taking the letters away from him in the process.

"Very well."

The two lapsed into silence, finding nothing out of the ordinary in anything they read.

"Hana sends her regards," Arashi said softly.

The ends of Miyako's mouth turned up, her onyx eyes never leaving the letter, "You'll have to tell her I said hi too."

"When did we stop talking Miya?"

"When you cheated on me in eleventh grade," She answered bluntly, all the while smiling a sickly sweet smile that promised violence if he continued the subject.

"Sorry."

Both knew he meant it in more than one way.

"Miyako," He called some minutes later, "Take a look at this."

Written on the page in his hand was an elegant script of fading ebony ink. Both eyes scanned the fragment:

_She cries in the night_

_That angel of beauty_

_Her song died in a night_

_Her golden soul_

_Faded with the sun_

_The daisies braided_

_Gently in her halo hair_

_Withered long ago_

_Abandoned by the love_

_That kept her strong_

_She was taken by the dark_

"What about it?" The Uchiha asked.

Arashi rolled his eyes, "This is nothing like Itachi's other works. This poem talks of a woman being taken by darkness. Every other poem talks about Itachi himself being taken by darkness. It was a metaphor for the pressures of the clan that were placed on him. Sunlight has always been what his life was after he got out."

"Okay, speak Miyako now."

He laughed, "Take a look at the date, this was written when he would have been thirty-seven."

"That's four years before he died. And?"

"Itachi always put the collection name on the page with the poem," His finger lifted up the right hand corner at the top of the page, which had been bent over, "_Owari nai Yume_."

She laughed, hands resting on her knees. He watched as the thin denim stretched almost to the breaking point as she clenched her hands.

"You little rat, I should have known you'd find something first," A dangerous glint appeared in her eyes, "But you need to explain why that collection is important."

He set the page down to the side, "_Owari nai Yume_ is a collection that Deidara mentions in a letter to Hoshigaki Kisame, a mutual friend of his and Itachi's. He said that it was a private collection done for a friend."

"And?"

"Itachi's only known friends were fellow members of an artisans group called the Akatsuki. Of all the members, all have private collections of Itachi's work, but not one bears the name _Owari nai Yume_. Not only that, but you can find them all at the Historical Department of the Konohagakure Library."

"Except that one?"

"Except that one."

She nodded, "It's like _Minnano Kimochi _with Sakura. Something she wrote supposedly for Sasuke, if the letter I found was telling the truth. Problem is, there is no record of it in the archive of his possessions, nor does it show up anywhere in the Uchiha library. Trust me, I've had Umeko and her little assistants scour the entire structure for that anthology. However, Umeko seems convinced that it's the tome her brothers used to teach her how to read, meaning it is somewhere in an attic."

He pulled out another letter, "Let me guess, she doesn't remember which attic it was."

"Correct."

He sighed, "Well then, we'd best get to work."

The duo lapsed once more into silence. It lasted until late into the evening, when the windows had been shut and lanterns had been set up in the area.

The last letter had been finished, and Miyako stood before the ancient desk in the very back.

"We've gone over everything," She muttered to herself, but Arashi heard, "There's no way that one poem is all there is."

She bent down to pick up one of the other boxes, now filled to the brim with papers.

"Well, it's better than nothing," Her companion tried to consol.

It didn't work, but the bottom of the box falling out did work. Papers crashed to the floor, but the ones they had placed there earlier in the day never moved.

Arashi began laughing, while Miyako just smiled manically, "He was a genius."

"So now you're admitting that I'm right?"

She just turned and held the box out for him to see clearly, "It was a false bottom."

The rest of the box was set on top of the desk as Arashi swept up the fallen papers, and the two set back to work.

"Look at these, this is an entire history we've never known," She squealed as she read a letter over his shoulder.

He turned his blue eyes on her, "You realize what this means, don't you?"

She nodded solemnly, "Itachi really did meet Sakura."

"And she wasn't faithful to Hatake Kakashi."

Miyako's eyes widened in surprise as she snatched the letter away from him, "That's impossible. She was married to him for almost twelve years. The only thing missing was a child. Sakura was said to be very faithful and loyal to everyone."

"Just not to her husband," He corrected gently, "These are private letters Miyako. Between Uchiha Itachi and Haruno Sakura. You know how the higher ups will take this. They have never liked Sakura and they'll take any opportunity to ruin her. They'll say she was unfaithful."

She shook her head, his meaning sinking in, "That's why you can't hand this stuff over to the museum. I don't mind if you give it to Hanako to file away, she'll make sure the information is safe, but I'd feel better if you left it here in the Uchiha library."

Something snapped, "For crying out loud Miya! Think! You're an employee of the literary history department of the museum's library. You have to hand this stuff over."

She shook her head, "No I don't. As an Uchiha I hold the authority to keep any and all information pertaining to my clan a secret. Itachi was an Uchiha."

"I hate it when you get like this Miyako," He sighed, "But you really need to do this. Sakura can take the fall, she's got enough redeeming qualities that if the curators assume an affair did happen it won't do anything too serious to her reputation."

Miyako shook her head again, "We're still missing something Arashi. At least let me keep the information until we solve this entire mystery. Let me prove that there was no romantic association. Just a correspondence between two poets."

He furrowed his brow, "What do you mean?"

She pointed to the dates on the various papers around them, "Information will be missing. Everything here just covers one year. Did they keep in touch? What happened to make the letters stop?"

Arashi examined her desperate expression, "All right. Let's keep working."

"Thank you."

She leaned over and kissed his cheek to emphasize her point.

"You're welcome."

* * *

_Dear Sir,_

_In all the years I have known Sasuke, I was never aware that he had an elder brother. I am truly surprised that our paths have not crossed before now._

* * *

Sakura raced down the halls of the hospital, laughing all the while. Her white medic's uniform swept around her legs as she slid into the children's ward. 

"Hello children!" She announced cheerily with her hands on her hips, a wide smile that would put Uzumaki Naruto to shame spread across her lips. She was greeted with cheers of joy.

She was the youngest doctor, and as a result she was the favorite of the children in the hospital.

Cries of "Sakura!" came from all over the floor. She just smiled some more and tended to every child.

* * *

_Dear Mrs. Hatake,_

_We have never met personally, but you are difficult to miss in a crowd. As for me, most do not realize that I am ever there. And my name is Itachi._

* * *

A little known fact about the Akatsuki was that while they were all artists of some kind, they all had little hobbies too. A common one was fencing. In fact, one of the few things Itachi enjoyed was watching the odd bass player from the local string quartet, the man named Kisame, defeat every other member in the group. 

The papers in front of him fluttered in the wind, held down by his hands. The match before him was interesting, but if he turned his attention to the giant hospital lording over Konoha, he imagined he could see a flash of pink every now and then.

* * *

_Dear Itachi,_

_My apologies. Please, call me Sakura; 'Mrs. Hatake' makes me feel old. And it does not feel right at all. I am pleased to know that there is another poet in town. I was beginning to believe I was the only one._

* * *

"All right then Isamu-kun. You're doing much better this time," Sakura chirped. The little boy on the bed beamed up at her, his pale skin flushing red as he blushed slightly. 

"So I can see my little sister now?"

She smiled and nodded, "Yep!" Sakura vaguely remembered a young boy she had met on a trip years ago, "Is she your precious person?"

The boy smiled even wider, "Yes!"

"That's good," She giggled, "It's always nice to have someone like that."

"Do you have a precious person Sakura?"

The question made her freeze. As a married woman for seven years now, her answer should have been yes, her husband. As Sakura though…

Her hand went to the pouch she wore off to the side of her lower back and felt for the letter folded inside.

"Yes," She answered softly, "I do."

"Really? What's he like?"

She smiled sadly, "He's dark and mysterious. He's smart, really smart. And he is charming and polite."

The medic hoped they didn't notice that she was carefully choosing her words, using only adjectives that could have easily described Kakashi instead. A giggle sounded from the door. Sakura and Isamu turned to see a little girl standing partly behind the doorframe.

"Yes Mao?"

"Sakura's in love," She chanted.

Sakura blushed a shade of red that had she probably wouldn't have believed a human being to be capable of.

* * *

_Dear Sakura,_

_I will remember that. But I must ask why you feel so. You are Mrs. Hatake according to Konoha. Why are you so against being referred to as so?_

* * *

Itachi, contrary to the popular belief of his hometown, did in fact visit the Uchiha prefecture after moving out. But it was only ever to see his mother and only when his father was gone for the day. 

"Mother really, I'm fine," He said for what felt like the thousandth time.

She rolled her eyes and refilled his teacup anyway.

"I know, but I was talking about how you were doing on your own."

"Fine Mother."

She threw a glare his direction that had him suppressing a flinch. Uchiha Mikoto could be a scary woman when she wanted to be.

"You're my first-born Itachi, it's only natural for me to worry more about you than about Sasuke."

He almost smiled, and would have, if he had been anywhere else at the moment.

"I know Mother."

She sighed heavily and leaned back, "So, have you met anyone interesting lately?"

Itachi smirked, "Just a new correspondent. A fledgling poet I ran into at a restaurant one day. Something tells me you two would get along," He added, seeing her look.

* * *

_Dear Itachi,_

_The marriage was against my will. That is why. And I have a new collection I would like you to read. It is called **Nakushita Kotoba.**_

_Yours Truly,_

_Sakura_

_

* * *

_

Disclaimer: Me no own.

A/N: 2:04a.m. Saturday-finish time. I wanted to continue, but couldn't. So here is chapter two and Nakushita Kotoba means Lost Words. PLEASE REVIEW. They are much appreciated.


	5. Chapter Four: Far Side of the Moon

**Possession**

_Chapter Four_

_Far Side of the Moon_

* * *

_Dear Sakura,_

_**Nakushita Kotoba **__is a very interesting title. Why call it 'Lost Words'? I suppose that is not my concern. The poems themselves are what you asked me to take a look at. There was one in particular that caught my eye. I was hoping you could elaborate a little more on what it is about. It has no title, but I have rewritten the first line to help identify it._

* * *

Green eyes flickered over the latest letter, thankful that her husband was a merchant. She smiled widely at the freedom she would have for the next few months while he was away. 

"Let's see now, which one was he asking about?"

Sakura pulled out her desk drawer and flipped through some of the papers, searching for that particular line.

"Ah, here it is."

_Can you see what you have begun_

_I am always alone_

_Around the people I love I am alone_

_Can you see that I am just like you_

_Can you see how scared you have me_

_From you I cannot hide_

_From you I cannot run_

_To you I cannot go_

_To you I cannot lie_

_I am cornered by you_

_If I cannot fun from you_

_Then hold me tight_

_Chase away the monsters of the night_

_Take away all my fears_

_Wipe away all my tears_

A whine came from somewhere around her ankles. She glanced down to see a little pug sitting still.

"Hello Pakkun," She chimed, "Have you just come back from your walk with Rei?"

She sighed and held up the poem, "Itachi is asking about this? Do you think I should answer?" When the dog just whined, she smiled, "Yes, I think so too.

* * *

_Dear Itachi,_

_The poem in question is exactly as it seems. I do believe that is a sufficient answer. So, will you tell me why you decided to become a poet? I have always wondered why the man with everything would throw it all away for something so whimsical as poetry._

* * *

"Itachi! You've got mail!" Deidara's loud and cheerful voice carried through the hall to Itachi's room. 

The Uchiha swung his door open just as the blonde ran up to it. The sculptor opened his mouth to say something, but the stoic poet just snatched the letter out of his hand and closed the door again.

"Jerk," Deidara mumbled.

Itachi ignored it and opened the letter, eyes skimming over the spidery script on the page. He noted, with some amusement, that the letter smelled like lavender.

Moving over to his desk, he set aside the new collection he was working on, the words _Tsuki no Uragawa _(trans: Far Side of the Moon) glaring up at the ceiling on the front page. Beside it was Sakura's work.

He set the letter down and began writing the reply.

* * *

_Dear Sakura,_

_I threw everything away for my own reasons. Poetry was something that helped me deal with my insufferable clan the years I was chained to that blood. You could say it has been my saving grace. Without it, I am not sure what would have happened. Chances are, the Uchiha would have ceased to exist._

* * *

She gasped upon reading the last line. Sakura was leaning up against the wall outside the maternity ward, the ward following the children's on her rotation through the hospital. The lights were mostly out, leaving the medic shrouded in darkness. 

"Sakura?"

Her head snapped to the left, seeing a colleague hesitantly approaching.

"Yes Shizune?"

The older woman smiled softly, "Are you all right? You look a little pale."

"I'm fine," She laughed in reply, "I'm just not sleeping much. You know how I get when Tsunade leaves me in charge."

Shizune nodded. It wasn't a strange occurrence for Tsunade to be called away from the hospital on diplomatic business and for her to leave her favored pupil in charge.

"Just don't overdo it, remember that Kakashi is returning from his trip tomorrow."

Sakura smiled and nodded, waiting for Shizune to vanish before letting the grin slip into a frown.

Kakashi was a merchant, and as such he was often gone for months at a time. It was the only thing that kept the marriage working. Sakura knew this, and she was certain that Kakashi knew it too. She also knew that the only reason it survived was that he treated her more like an adopted daughter. Kakashi lived in the east wing of the house while Sakura had taken the west. They had never shared a room, nor had they shared a bed. The only real thing they shared, as the large house had essentially been split in two, was the little pug dog named Pakkun. Sometimes she wondered if the servants knew that she was his wife and not a daughter. Their behavior left some questions.

She sighed and pushed off from the wall, sliding along the halls to her office.

* * *

_Dear Itachi,_

_I was shocked upon reading your last letter, but I think I can understand. My own writings, while often being short stories in the past, are what saved me from leading my own clan to a similar fate. A part of me wishes that I had been born a man instead. Perhaps then I would not be stuck in the situations that I am._

* * *

The park was silent as Itachi sat on a bench, reading over the last letter. The letter was a little more on the melancholy side, her usually bright and bubbly personality dwindling a little bit. His respect for the women of Konoha went up a little bit with that little piece of insight to their lives. 

"Someone looks happy, should I be running for the hills?"

He glared over the letter at his little brother, "What are you doing here Sasuke?"

The younger Uchiha just smirked and took a seat next to him, "Is it so wrong for me to visit my brother? Do you hate me that much?"

Itachi returned the smirk with an icy edge, "I was under the impression that you were the one that hated me."

"I don't," Sasuke replied, all joking aside, "Actually I'm here because Hanabi made me come. She doesn't like that you and I don't speak that much to each other."

"You're not even married and she has you whipped."

"I wouldn't have come if Mother hadn't asked me to as well. You know as well as I do that it's impossible to say 'no' to that woman."

The poet's expression softened a little, "Trust me, I know what you mean."

"She also wanted me to find out if this correspondent of yours is a possible wife."

Itachi refolded the letter with sharp movements, putting it away in his pocket, "She is, but she is never going to be my wife."

"And what makes you say that?"

The elder Uchiha stood up and pulled on his long coat, turning to go, "Because she's already married to someone else," He whispered over his shoulder, leaving Sasuke alone on the bench.

* * *

_Dear Sakura,_

_I am sorry to hear that, but I do understand. I have something enclosed with this letter that I hope will cheer you up a little. It is a new anthology I have been working on. The title, as you will see, is __**Tsuki no Uragawa**_

* * *

Sakura laughed when she read the title. It was something that was so very…_Itachi_. She was excited as she flipped open the first page, eyes skimming over the poems. 

She reached down to scratch the ears of the Akita dog Kakashi had brought back for her his last trip. The little pup was as white as her medic's uniform, and as playful as the little girl she had treated during her clinical work that day for a sprained ankle.

"Listen to this Chika," She was smiling widely at the little dog, "His prose is always so fascinating."

_"She is so afraid_

_So afraid of being broken_

_Each day she lives in fear_

_Never knowing what she will hear_

_She is not the girl that I recall_

_Brave and full of hope_

_Brimming with light_

_Now dimmed to night"_

The puppy yipped has Sakura finished reading. The medic giggled in return.

"He is quite strange isn't he?" The cheerfulness died down as a darker look flitted across her face, "But he is quite perceptive at the same time, no?"

Chika seemed to agree.

* * *

_Dear Itachi,_

_I immensely enjoyed reading __**Tsuki**__. I am afraid though, that I will not have much time to write these next few months. Kakashi is required to attend the upcoming centennial festival, and as his wife I am expected to be there as well. Though, I am certain that on the Saturday afternoon of the festivities, I should be able to get away long enough for a long lunch break at the sushi restaurant on the outskirts of the northern part of town. I will be arriving there at about noon. Kakashi has a meeting that day from early in the morning until late at night, so I will be free for most of the day._

* * *

"So there was a meeting," Arashi murmured. He had woken up just half an hour ago, as the sun began peeking through the cracks in the shutters. He had forced some of the open to let in the light, but not enough to wake the still sleeping Miyako. 

Judging by the position of the sun, it was only about seven in the morning, meaning he had had about five hours sleep, if the clock tower in the old part of the prefecture was correct in its chimes last night.

"Hello?" A voice called from somewhere towards the exit of the attic.

He stood up and miraculously found his way back to the door. Uchiha Umeko was standing just a few feet into the attic, two lunch boxes held tightly in her hands.

"Hello Umeko-san," He greeted her with a smile.

She returned it and held out the boxes, "I brought breakfast, though I suspect Miyako is still asleep," She gave a short laugh, signature violet eyes closing briefly, "According to the stories, Haruno Sakura always slept late too. Something about her always living a medic's life. I guess Miya-chan has studied her so much that she's just picked up some of her traits."

He nodded, "Thank you. This smells delicious, I'm sure it will wake her up."

"Probably," Her laid-back demeanor faded slightly and he recognized the librarian/historian coming through, "Did you find anything?"

"Just that Sakura really did meet Itachi," He paused for a second, "And if you could remember where that _Minnano Kimochi_ (trans: Every Heart) book is, it would be really helpful."

Umeko licked her lips nervously, "I asked my brother Itsuki if he had any ideas. He's the oldest so his memory of those days is a little better than the rest of us," She glanced over his shoulder, as if to see whether or not her cousin had decided to put in an appearance, "He said it was in Uchiha Miyako's things."

"As in our Miyako's ancestress?"

She nodded, "Miya-chan has always been a little touchy when it comes to going through those things. She doesn't like her particular bloodline's things to be disturbed. And she holds a lot of respect for Miyako-san; after all, because of the respect she commanded the name Miyako has been passed down for generations through the daughters of that line. That and Miyako-san was a very secretive person. Miya-chan has always felt that invading her things like that would be disrespectful towards her wishes. She says there are things that Miyako-san wanted to remain secret, and that us going through those things would be rude and somewhat cruel."

Arashi groaned, "I hate when she gets like that."

"It can't be helped," She shrugged, "It's just who Miya-chan is."

"Leave her to me, but I have a question for you."

Her violet eyes were fixed on him as she pulled the dark chocolate tresses, a throwback to her Hyuga lineage, "Yes?"

"Do you have any records from the centennial festival that took place during Sakura's lifetime?"

Umeko nodded, "There's tons of old stuff on that. The Uchiha clan was one of the founding families of Konoha; as a result the members alive at that time were a big part of the festivities. What exactly are you looking for?"

"Photographs, drawing, any kind of image you have."

She nodded again, "You do realize that pictures were rare at that time."

"Not in Konoha," He bit back the sharp tone that was itching to come out, "Konoha was more prosperous than any other city on the continent. Not only that, but the photograph was invented here."

"I'm impressed, you know your history."

"I've spent my life studying Uchiha Itachi. He was a member of the artisans group the Akatsuki. One of them was a man by the name of Sasori, a toy maker that started out as a chemist. He was the inventor of the camera and the photograph. Of course I knew."

The resident historian of the Uchiha clan simply laughed, "Touché. I should have expected as much from you."

"So when can I expect the records?"

"Around noon," She answered, "I'll have some of the interns bring them up."

"Thanks."

She nodded and left, leaving Arashi to carry the food back to the little corner where his temporary companion was still sleeping.

To his surprise, when he arrived, she was sitting up, pouring over the letters he had already finished.

"Morning Shi-kun," Was her bleary greeting.

Arashi managed five seconds of stoic silence before he cracked up, "You haven't called me that since high school Miya-chan."

She blinked drowsily, "I'm half asleep Uzumaki. Shut up and give me the food."  
He handed her the box with cherry blossoms on it, remembering the container from their days in school together.

Breakfast was a silent affair, and Arashi felt like he was going insane from the quiet.

It was common knowledge that the Uzumaki household was not quiet. In fact, meals were family events where everyone could speak openly to each other. The Uchiha household, on the other hand, rarely ate together. And they were silent all the time.

So Arashi tried his hardest to start a conversation.

"Hn," Was the only reply he got.

In desperation he switched over to work.

"Umeko-san is sending us some pictures from the centennial festival later today. I'm hoping that someone managed to get a shot of Itachi and Sakura together."

"Considering the fact that Sasori was taking most of the pictures, he probably did," She answered softly, blinking off the last of her sleepiness, "But what I found to be more interesting, is that the reply he sent seems to be a little distant. It's almost as if he thought someone was going to intercept the letter before it got to Sakura."

"Can I see?"

She nodded and passed the piece of paper over to the blonde.

He examined it carefully, "Did you notice?"

"What?"

He held it up for her to see clearly, "This is someone else's handwriting. Female from the looks of it."

"Yeah," Miyako replied, "From the looks of it, I'd say it belongs to Yamanaka Ino," She took a closer look at the blurred closing, laughing when she made out the words, "She even signed it with her name."

"The Akimichi bride?" Arashi inquired.

"Yes, her family owned a flower shop directly below the second floor home of Itachi and Deidara. Not only that, but Sakura visited her every day, it would have been easy for her to get a letter from Itachi to Sakura."

"And if it was in her handwriting, in a way that she would reply," He finished for her, "No one would be suspicious, especially if they really did meet for lunch at the restaurant."

Miyako smiled, "They really were geniuses. Itachi and Sakura were wasted on Konoha back in those days."

* * *

_Dear Sakura,_

_I would be happy to meet you for lunch there. Around noon, right? In the little sushi restaurant on the north side of town. I will be there as soon as possible. Just try not to forget that book you promised me._

_Hugs and Kisses,_

_Ino_

* * *

"What's the meaning of this Chika?" Sakura absentmindedly asked the little Akita. 

She had received a reply to Itachi's letter, but it had been from Ino instead. The other thing that was off about it was that the wax seal on the envelope, which had been white instead of the usual crimson that he used, had been broken.

Chika whined, her nose pointed towards the door. Sakura turned to see one of maids that worked for Kakashi in the east wing.

"Yes?"

"Ma'am, you have a visitor in the east wing," The maid, Sakura remembered her as Shiori, spoke softly. Sakura resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the ridiculousness of it all.

Instead she smiled and followed Shiori out of the west wing, Chika in tow.

She froze at the door when she saw the visitor the maid had mentioned.

"Hello Sakura."

The pink-haired medic forced a smile, and forced her to answer the woman Tsunade had replaced.

"Hello Mother."

The older woman's blue eyes and vibrant red hair were faded with age, but those eyes that Sakura, thankfully, didn't inherit seemed to be filled with malice.

"I take it you wish to know why I am here."

Her daughter smiled sweetly, the expression never reaching the emerald eyes that were flashing with anger, "Not particularly. I am impressed with your entrance into this home, now I would like to see your departure," She answered calmly, "The front door is right behind you."

Haruno Akemi simply frowned and pulled out a page with familiar writing on it, "Care to explain this."

Sakura froze again, the tenseness running up and down her spine. She forced her expression to remain stoic and blank, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"_Back and forth_

_Inside my head_

_All the things_

_Never said_

_All the outcasts_

_All the thoughts_

_All I hear_

_Are little talks_

_Everything I wish_

_Would go away_

_Everything I know_

_Seems to stay_

_Though something seems to change_

_My breath fades_

_As blossoms fall._"

Sakura's own breath seemed to fade as she recognized the poem. It had only been a fragment in the copy of _Tsuki _he had sent, but it was easily recognized.

Her mother had been the one to open Itachi's letter.

Chika growled, the young dog seemingly understanding what had happened.

"It's a poem that was sent with Ino's letter," She replied sharply, "Which explains why the seal was broken on the envelope. You are aware that it is against the law to read another person's mail, aren't you?"

Akemi glared hatefully at her daughter, "The mailman told me that there were letters going to and from you an the home above the Yamanaka shop every week. He said it had been going on for almost a year now. I did a little research and found out that there are two unmarried men living there. One of them is a poet."

"He writes poems for Ino and she sends them to me," The lies were coming easier than Sakura had expected, "I've been sending Ino poems for the past year and she's hopeless with poetry, so she's been having Uchiha-san write replies, thinking I wouldn't notice."

"Then write the reply," Her mother shot, "I'll take it to Yamanaka-san myself."

Sakura nodded and grabbed a pen and some spare stationary after discreetly receiving directions from Shiori. Sakura did not want to let her mother become aware of the situation in the Hatake household.

* * *

_Dear Ino,_

_Yes, that is the correct time, and the correct place. I look forward to seeing you again; it has been so long since we have had the chance to spend time together without interruption. As for the poem, please accept the following._

_I found this place_

_Broken and alone_

_I found this vast library_

_It held what I needed_

_To solve the mystery_

_Of why this war in my heart began_

_And why it will not end_

_Hugs and Kisses,_

_Sakura_

* * *

The letter had arrived late to Itachi, having to go through Akemi, Ino, and Deidara to get to him. The poem was confusing at first, but he had eventually figured it out. 

As he entered the back room of the Konoha public library, a mere storage closet for unsorted books, he smirked. It was a brilliant place to meet, no one ever went in, and the head librarian was a member of the Akatsuki, he knew that she knew that Kakuzu would keep their secret and help them remain a secret.

"You're a clever girl."

She smiled slyly in return, green eyes lighting up in the gloom, her pink hair illuminated in the darkness by a lone candle.

"I try to be."

* * *

_Dear Sakura,_

_As your mother is paying more attention, I thought it would be wise for us to get away from prying eyes._

* * *

Arashi and Miyako had gone to her house for a late lunch that day. 

"So, I heard you spoke with Umeko today," She was, for once, trying to start a conversation with her old friend.

The blonde smirked at her efforts, "Yeah, actually she said she found out where the _Minnano Kimochi_ was."

Her onyx eyes lit up, "Really? Where?"

"Um, that's the thing," He shifted in his seat, "She said it was in Uchiha Miyako's belongings."

The light died and the small smile that had been tugging at her lips perished before ever coming to life.

"What?"

He sighed and set his chopsticks down on his plate.

"Listen, Miya, you have to let me go into that attic."

"Fine," She turned away from him, her voice darker than usual, "But you're taking me with you."

He grinned, something that reminded Miyako strongly of a fox, "I wouldn't dream of going without you."

"Did the pictures show anything?"

"No," He took a small drink of the tea, curious at the lavender flavor, "There were images of Sakura with Ino, and Itachi was in none of them. From what I could tell, Itachi seemed to be one of the photographers, not one of the people having pictures taken of them."

She nodded, "So what else is planned?"

"Tomorrow we need to swing by the Historical Department at the library," He took notice of his companion's expression, "What?"

She leaned across the table, a sly smirk making him even more uncomfortable, "You might want to cancel those plans. I've been in Miyako-san's attic before. It's going to take us at least two days to go through those things. You'll have to work something out with Hana-chan."

He groaned, "I knew working with you was going to be a mistake."

'_So did I'_ ran through the Uchiha's mind. She knew she was in dangerous territory. Uzumaki Arashi was a rival in the present, and in the future. He was only a trusted friend, a lover, in the past. She knew, somewhere in the back of her mind, that if she spent any more time with him that she would only end up falling for him again.

She coughed lightly and returned to her seat, the rest of the meal continuing in the unbearable silence she was used to.

* * *

_Dear Itachi,_

_I think so to. Kakashi is going away to Suna for a while. I will be journeying to the Land of Tea for a minor vacation. My father's mother had a home there, and now that she is gone it is mine. I do believe that you need a break from Konoha. I will be at the train station at five in the morning on this coming Wednesday. I hope to see you there._

_Sincerely,_

_Sakura_

* * *

A/N: Wow that was long. And no, no real romance is going between Itachi and Sakura right now. They're just friends at this point (though both are falling). Nothing will be happening for several chapters. As always, I have no beta, so any mistakes are solely my own. And I own nothing. 

Now, most of you probably know what's coming next. **PLEASE REVIEW!!!!** Reviews are the best inspiration. Which is why I am putting a list of people I would like to thank right here:

**uchiha-sisters**

**Selah M. Snow_: The Leather Bound Sketchpad-read it_**

**Goatis_: The Isolation of Inner Sakura-read it_**

**Inuzuka-nin**

**Panda-Ink**

**gare de lyon-ROAR**

Thank you all so much

Until next time,

Hikari Adams


	6. Chapter Five: Deep Forest

_**Possession**_

_Chapter Five_

_Deep Forest_

A/N: I just realized that I called the last chapter number three. It was actually number four. I am sorry for that mistake and I will fix it as soon as possible.

* * *

"Miya-chan!"

The Uchiha glanced up to see a blonde woman standing behind the counter in the little café she was seated in.

She laughed, "Hello Chouko. I was wondering if you were working today."

Chouko, a bubbly blonde with vibrant blue eyes, skipped out from behind the counter to where her friend sat, "Never mind my work schedule, can you tell me if what I heard is right?"

"You have to tell me what it is before I can answer that one," Miyako pointed out.

"True, true," The waitress chuckled, "That Hyuga boy, Hayato, you know him right?"

Miyako nodded, reaching a hand back to brush her side parted bangs out of her face, her hand tracing her hairline to tighten the tie holding the rest of it back, "Yeah, he's that jerk that works in my office complex at the archives. White eyes with a hint of brown and brown hair that's a shade or two lighter than Umeko's. He's a scholar specializing in the aviary architecture work of Hyuga Neji."

Chouko rolled her eyes, "You're hopeless Miya-chan. Anyway, he was in here the other day with Nara Ken'ichi."

She opened her mouth to continue, but Miyako cut her off.

"What would Hayato be doing with someone from the code breakers department? They only handle big time mysteries in the history world. Nothing Neji did could constitute as that," She thought for a moment, "Now his wife Tenten on the other hand, well, let's just say that we still don't know that much about her."

"No!" Chouko snapped, "As an Akimichi I will not let you interrupt me!"

Miyako regarded her blankly, "You mean you won't let me interrupt because you're a Yamanaka. The Akimichi were much easier to talk to. Ino, however, was infamous for being impatient and at times she was considered to be slightly rude."

Chouko just stuck out her tongue at the young woman across from her.

"Anyways, as I was saying," She rambled on, "Hayato was in here with Ken'ichi and I heard them talking about you working with Arashi."

Miyako's hand stopped three inches away from her mouth, the scone in her hand dropping to her plate, "How did they know about that?"

"You mean it's true?" Chouko shrieked. It seemed as if every customer in the busy café turned their attention to the two.

She nodded, "Yes, but I still want to know how they knew. Did they say anything else?"

"Yeah, something about that Hatake woman and an Uchiha outcast. Hayato seems to think that you two are going to change the history of Konoha with whatever it is your working on."

"Considering the fact that we can't even find the two things we need to solve this case, I doubt it."

Chouko's blue eyes narrowed, "What do you mean?"

"There are two poem anthologies that we know were written by Sakura and Itachi later in their careers," Miyako reached down to retrieve her fallen scone, "But we can't locate them. The one that was written by Sakura, the _Minnano Kimochi_, was said to be in Miyako-san's things. When Arashi and I looked, it wasn't there. The second one was Itachi's _Owari nai Yume_, and we don't even know where to begin looking for it."

"I'm a waitress, not a scholar Miya-chan," Her friend pointed out solemnly, "Unless you've forgotten, I never went on to the university the way you and Hana-chan did. The only things concerning Sakura and Itachi that I know are the poems that you and Arashi-kun would talk about."

Miyako smiled sweetly, "Do you happen to remember anything?"

"Didn't you and Arashi-kun talk about poetry? I thought the two of you had dated back then."

"Chou-chan," The Uchiha shifted uneasily in her seat, blushing a dark shade of red that matched her sweater.

The blonde coughed, "Right, well then. Um," She reached over and took a bite of Miyako's food, "I remember a couple of limericks. I always thought they sounded the same. They kept talking about the sea and lavender. Went straight over my head. Arashi-kun seemed confused by it too. He said something about it didn't fit with Itachi's pattern. Same with you and Sakura," She paused, seeing her friend missing, "Miya-chan?"

Miyako had run out of the restaurant the second Chouko had mentioned the limericks.

"How could I have forgotten those?" She berated herself under her breath, "I've studied her for years, how could I have missed the one anomaly?"

She knew that Arashi would be at home that day, Hanako being on one of her few breaks from the historical department.

Mentally she ran through a map of the city, trying to recall where the expansive Uzumaki household was.

_Left, right, right, left, another right._ Her mind was a complete mess at that moment. Everything was fitting into place, and she had to go back to her early years as part of the Uchiha clan to that summer home she had loved so dearly. It was the only place.

Her inner mind, that nasty little voice she wanted to block out most of the time, pointed out that she was missing something.

Rolling her eyes, she let her feet slide on the wet sidewalk before turning around and running to the train station. She must have been a sight as the man behind the counter at the ticket station gave her a bewildered look when she arrived in front of him.

"Can I help you miss?" His calm voice belied the expression in his eyes.

She nodded vigorously, "I need two tickets to," Miyako paused, remembering that the tracks didn't go all the way, "I need to get as close to Tea Country as possible."

He nodded and handed her the tickets in exchange for the payment. When it was all over with, she smiled brightly before tearing off through town again.

The Uzumaki residence seemed to be closer than she remembered, the gates looming up out of the fog just blocks away. Her luck seemed to be good that day, as one of the maids recognized her and quickly opened the side gate to let her in.

Arashi was seated in his usual place: the library. Books and other notes needed for the case were surrounding him in a barrier of sorts when Miyako slid to a stop beside his table.

"Miya-chan?"

She smiled wickedly and recited:

"_Here in the lavender sea_

_Oh it's quite a sight to see_

_From the heathery grey_

_To the flowers in May_

_There is nothing quite like the lavender sea_" 

Arashi gave Miyako a blank look, "That makes no sense."

She smiled slightly, "It's one of the few limericks that Sakura ever wrote," She pulled out two train tickets, "And we're going to the place she was writing about."  
The blonde should have been expecting something like that. The two had been working together for over a month and they had already exhausted their resources in Konoha.

When he was still confused, she sighed heavily.

"Does that limerick sound familiar at all?" She repeated it slower for him to understand.

Finally he nodded, "Yeah, there was one that Itachi wrote," He mumbled something under his breath about a limerick that was completely out of character, "It sounds kind of like that. But what's so important about it?"

"Remember that last letter? Sakura was asking Itachi to accompany her to her grandmother's old home," She paused, "Guess where it was."

"No clue."

"In Tea Country. The manor was located in an area known as the _Lavender Sea_. It was located on the coast in the northern part of the country."

Understanding flickered over his features, "He went with her."

She smiled and nodded, "And we're going to follow them."

"So how did you figure this out?"

He watched with some amusement as she blushed vividly for the second time that day, "Actually, it was Akimichi Chouko that pointed out the similarities in the poems. That and the manor is an old summer home for my family. I used to spend a lot of time there in my childhood."

He studied her expression carefully, "So you want to go there?"

"Yes," She nodded, "I think this is why the letters stopped. I think you were right."

"Could you repeat that?" Arashi beamed, "Actually, let me get Hanako in here so she can bear witness to this occasion."

Miyako glared, "Idiot. Think about it. Do you realize what this means?"

"That Sakura will be branded by some rather awful words by our bosses," He stated bluntly.

"No," She sank down to kneel beside his chair, "This has the potential to completely rewrite the history of my clan. The elders have never liked Itachi, and if they found out that he possibly had an affair with a married woman, it could spell the end of him even being allowed to carry the Uchiha name."

"It couldn't be that bad."

She fixed him with a level stare, "They would have him removed from all family records and they would have the name Uchiha removed from his tombstone."

Arashi hissed in mock pain, "Damn, and I thought the Hyuga were bad enough."

"Arashi," Miyako growled angrily.

He held up his hands in defeat, "Fine, I'll go and help you get the answers that you so desperately want. Just tell me exactly what it is you're looking for."

Her black eyes seemed to be sadder than he had ever remembered, "Do you know everything that happened? The basics I mean."

"Miya, what are you going on about?"

She scooted closer to him, her voice losing some of its volume, "Kakashi killed himself in the eleventh year of his marriage to Sakura, close to the twelve year mark. As a result Sakura vanished to this house in Tea Country."

"That's around the time that Itachi cut himself off from everyone but Sasuke and about three of the Akatsuki."

She nodded, "I know. And it's also around the same time that Hanabi joined Sakura out there. I think something happened. There's a bigger mystery here than how faithful Sakura was to her husband. I want to know what really happened in her life," She laughed bitterly, "I've spent so many years studying her and I'm beginning to realize that I don't know the first thing about her."

"Join the club," Arashi interjected.

"Stop that," Miyako reprimanded gently, "This house was important to Sakura and if she took Itachi there, then there is a chance that we'll find some answers to these questions. We might even find more letters."

The Uzumaki nodded, "Fine, I'll go with you."

She smiled, tears showing in eyes like midnight, "I wouldn't have taken 'no' for an answer."

* * *

_The wind of this old plain carries a dirge_

_I hear it as the breeze and sea merge _

_Into one grey thyme _

_And I realize that it is only time_

_As in comes another violet surge_

* * *

Sakura stood on the platform, waiting for the train to come in. An emerald cloak that obscured her face as well hid her rosebud hair fluttered lightly in the faint wind. She glanced down to see Chika sitting patiently between her and her suitcase. The little Akita seemed to be calmer than usual, but the medic just assumed that was a part of her growing up.

Without warning, Sakura smiled.

"I was beginning to think you were never coming."

To her side, a man in a long black coat stared out at the tracks before them, "I was held up a little."

The truth of the matter was that his mother had summoned him to his childhood home that morning. Mikoto had once again tried to convince her eldest son to return and settle down. And, much to his surprise, his new sister-in-law had come to his rescue. The little lavender-eyed girl had provided enough distraction for him to slip out and return to the flat to pack. He knew it was cutting it close, but he also knew that the trains never ran on time in Konoha.

A strand of pink hair fell loose into her eyes. She reached up to brush it away, nonchalantly explain their destination.

"My grandmother wrote a story about this place when she was a little girl. It was called _Fukai Mori_ (Deep Forest). It was about the history of the manor," She smiled again, faintly this time, the expression tainted with nostalgia, "It is a tea farm. But field upon field of lavender and bergamot surrounds the actual manor. Then there are the trees. They stretch as far as the eye can see. I never did understand where the tea was grown, just that it showed up and my grandmother's family would make this tea. It was so wonderful. They used the lavender and bergamot with the three teas they grew to make it."

"Is that all it is?" Itachi inquired.

She nodded, "It's just outside this little fishing village. Everything is so calm and simply there. It's amazing. It's so different from the hustle and bustle of Konoha or one of the other large cities."

A roar cut out the last of her words, the train rumbling up to a stop in front of them. Itachi picked up both suitcases as Sakura hid Chika inside her cloak when the boarded the train.

The train ride was silent for the most part, punctuated by small talk here and there until they were out of the Land of Fire.

"You're sure Kakashi won't mind."

Itachi's voice startled Sakura out of her concentration on the landscape outside.

"What do you mean?"

His onyx eyes seemed to be skeptical, "His wife is taking a rather long trip with a different, single, man closer to her in age. I know as well as you do how this would look if anyone found out."

"You need to understand something," She explained, "Kakashi and I are more like father and daughter than we are husband and wife. I have spoken to him twice in the eight years I have been married to him. We live at separate ends of the house and we have different staff. As such, we don't interact at all," She caught sight of his amused look and sat up straight in a sharp movement that sent Chika tumbling to the floor, "What?"

"Nothing," He replied, "Though this does explain why there is no Hatake heir that has been so wanted in Konoha since Sakumo's suicide."

The comment had earned him a glare and the cold shoulder for the rest of the journey. Even the ferry ride to Tea Country and then the coach ride to the manor were shrouded in an unbearable silence. Itachi had become used to hearing the woman speak, and had found her lack of conversation slightly irritating.

As for Sakura, she was just waiting to see when he reached his breaking point and tried to begin a conversation.

She wouldn't be rewarded until after dinner that night.

The two were seated outside when in a very soft voice; she heard a gentle, "Thank you."

Even Chika understood his meaning.

* * *

A/N: It was supposed to be longer, but I decided to cut it down a little when I ran out of inspiration. After all, I could have given away the entire story right here, but I needed to pace it.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed (or sent a PM about Possession):

**La Editor**: Read the stories. I suggest reading _Red Eyes Fade Black_, though there are several others that are absolute genius. (This one was the PM…but it still means a lot to me)

**Selah M. Snow**: You should have read her story by now. If not, then go there now.

**Goatis**: See above

**SidiousSith **

**Panda-Ink**

**gare de lyon-ROAR**

**uchiha-sisters **

Until next time,

Hikari


	7. Chapter Six: Petty Harbour

_**Possession**_

_Chapter Six_

_Petty Harbour_

* * *

The town was like nothing he'd ever seen before. It was a little fishing town built up on the hills in the fog, surrounded by a huge forest broken here and there by fields for crops. Arashi had been expecting the smell of fish to be strong before, only to find an overpowering smell of lavender. 

"Miyako," He asked the girl walking beside him, "Where exactly are we going?"

She smiled, "This place, as you can see, doesn't have cars. I had Umeko call ahead and make sure we had transportation to the manor."

"Okay, so what should I be expecting?"

Her smiled turned vicious, "Can you ride a horse?"

As it turned out, the answer was 'no'. A result of this was that the rather scenic route to the manor was dreadful for the Uzumaki. His Uchiha colleague had been laughing at his misery the entire way.

On the train and the ferry, she had given him quite a bit of information concerning the manor and the surrounding area, but he hadn't been prepared for the sight that welcomed him when they left the forest.

Everything was heather grey, the blossoms still missing in the late February weather.

"Like it?" She threw over her shoulder with a smirk when she finally realized he'd stopped. She pulled her own horse to a stand, the mare's dark coat twitching as she swung her white tail at any flies.

"Hana would love this."

Miyako turned the horse back to the manor, "She would wouldn't she."

The one thing that hadn't been explained to Arashi when they had arrived was the sheer size of the manor.

He gulped, thinking about their time in the Uchiha prefecture back in Konoha, "Miyako, where will we be starting?"

She had just walked in from placing the two mares inside the stables and as she pulled off her coat, she let a condescending smirk, trademark to her clan, spread across her face, "This place is abandoned. There's no one here to help us, so my suggestion would be to drop our things off in our rooms and then meet back here in about five minutes."

"Care to show me the way?"

"Follow me," She took a path to the left and led him up a set of stairs, taking another left at the top. The hall was filled with rooms, and Miyako simply said, "The one at the far end on the right was Sakura's when she was here. My guess is that the one next to it or across from it was Itachi's."

With that said, he watched as she vanished into said room, opting to take the one across from it instead of the one beside it.

Once everything was said and done, the two took off to the town below. They walked in silence, each mulling over the things that had been said about the case, in Arashi's case. Miyako, however, was dwelling on the memories the moorlands around her brought back.

"Miyako."

It took her a second to realize that Arashi had said something, but when she turned her head and found his rather blank blue eyes staring at her, she stuttered out a, "Yes Shi-kun?"

"You said Kakashi killed himself around the time Sakura went into seclusion," She could see he was holding back laughter at the name she had used for him.

Miyako nodded, "Yes. And you said Itachi pulled away from society at roughly the same time."

"Yep, and Hanabi joined Sakura out here soon after."

"Shi-kun, is there any reason we're just reciting facts?"

He stopped in his place and grabbed her hand, making her stop too, "Miyako, think about it. These events have to be related, just like you said."

Her hand flipped around to grip his with bone-crushing strength, "Spill Uzumaki."

Flinching slightly at the pain, he sighed, "One of the Akatsuki that Itachi was consistently in close contact with was the toy maker Sasori. As you know, he started out as a chemist, specializing in poisons for the Land of Wind government."

She shook her head, raven hair catching in the wind in the process, "No. It wasn't poison. Kakashi drowned. He had the little maid, her name was Shiori, sew dozens of pockets into one of his coats. He then filled those pockets with rocks and walked into the deepest part of the river outside Konoha. It was suicide. Nothing more, nothing less."

"I still think that something else happened."

"Look," Her hand tightened over his even more, "That jerk Hayato has been poking around this case. We need to work together to solve this before he does something that ruins all of our work."

"I know," Arashi moved forward and placed his spare hand on her shoulder, leaning towards her slightly as his voice lost some of its infamous volume, "Miya, I know how much this means to you. But you need to relax a little. I hate seeing you so stressed."

The world fell silent for a moment as Miyako hung her head. After what seemed like eternity, she looked up again, eyes bright, "You're right Shi-kun. You know what, it's getting late, why don't we just look around town tonight. We can begin the real work tomorrow."

He sighed and let his forehead rest on hers, blonde hair mixing with black, "You're trying too hard Miya-chan."

"I know."

"Just promise me you'll take it easy while we're here. If both Sakura and Itachi wrote about it, this place must have been important to them. Chances are the answers will find us rather than the other way around," He stood up straight, one hand still entangled with hers and the other still on her shoulder, "Now, are you going to tell me the name of this little town?"  
She smiled, "Petty Harbour."

And he stiffened, "What?"

Miyako saw the slightly alarmed look in his eyes and reached up with her own spare hand to brush a few blonde strands out of the way, "Petty Harbour, what about it?"

"Sasori wasn't originally from Konoha, and he didn't live there most of the time."

"What about it?"

Arashi was slightly shocked to find that Miyako had moved closer to him, her face just inches away from his own.

Remembering to breathe, he took a deep breath, "Everything I have read said he lived in a little place called Petty Harbour, and only came to Konoha when Itachi or Deidara asked him to come."

He watched with fascination as Miyako smirked, "Well then, we'll just have to find his old workshop."

"He had a cousin, I think her family still lives here and runs the shop now as a little local museum. A volunteer organization as I recall."

"What's wrong Shi-kun?" She twisted her hand to lace her spidery fingers with his, the amusement in her voice not going unnoticed, "Didn't you know that this was where Petty Harbour was?"

Arashi shook his head, "No. Petty Harbour is too small to show up on the maps, and the records never did say exactly where it was."

"That's no excuse for not doing your job. You should always know the locations important to your subject."

"I know, but Petty Harbour was only important because Itachi visited it for a couple of weeks a few months before he died," Arashi's blue eyes remained fixed on the town, determined not to look at the woman that was closer than he remembered.

Her hand tightened around his, "When?"

"The May before his death. I think he was here for the last week in April too."

"Shi-kun," Her voice drew his attention away from the town and to here once again, "Sakura was Miyako-san's governess. She and the rest of Sasuke's family were out here for the summer at that time."

Understanding flickered through the blue abyss, "You think Sakura met Itachi once more before he died."

"We need to find the rest of the letters and poems tomorrow."

He nodded before pulling away and walking towards the town, his hand still held tightly in hers.

* * *

_In the garden grows _

_One lone flower of the night_

_The only truth here _

* * *

Itachi had never known that such peace existed in the world. The little town called Petty Harbour was quiet and simply. It was as if nothing had changed there in hundreds of years. 

"It's beautiful isn't it?"

His raven eyes pulled away from the town, following her emerald orbs to the silvery sea beyond the harbour.

"Yes, it is."

Somewhere in the back of his mind, it added that she was beautiful too. Taken, but beautiful. Then her words on the train came floating back.

In the midst of his thoughts, Sakura's tiny hand found his own and she began pulling him towards the heart of the town, her pink hair and forest cloak dancing in the wind behind her.

"Sasori," He whispered upon seeing the toyshop off to the right.

"What?" Sakura didn't quite catch what he had said, "Did you want to go somewhere?"

Itachi realized his mistake and pulled her into the little boutique next door to the redhead's shop, "In here."

"Why here?" She was confused by his actions. Sakura knew Itachi to be slightly distant and a perfect gentleman. Taking her into a shop that sold intricate beadwork was not something she would have expected, "Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine," He shook his head and motioned to the shopkeeper to pull out a black broach with a swirl of garnets. It reminded the Uchiha of a pinwheel, "Just look at this for me."

She let the keeper drop the broach into her hand, her eyes following the intricacy of the gemstones and metal, "It's beautiful," She threw a smirk over her shoulder at her companion, "Is it for your mother or do you have someone you're not telling me about?"

Itachi smirked in return and pressed her back against his chest, his breath flowing over the shell of her ear as his hands went to her waist, "I think the black and the red would go quite nicely with pink, don't you?"

"This is wrong," She whispered.

She didn't see the payment for the broach being handed over, only noticing that it had been bought when Itachi had pulled her outside into the freezing air of Petty Harbour, fixing the broach over the clasp of her cloak. The idea of scolding him crossed her mind briefly, but the warmth that settled in her chest changed her mind.

"I know, but no one else knows but us," He finally replied.

She smiled. He was right. At _Fukai Mori_, that manor in the deep forest, no one but them knew that any relationship between them that was not platonic was forbidden.

"Thank you."

He just nodded, "How do you get down to the shore?"

Sakura's smile widened as she grabbed his hand and pulled him out of down and down a small path, leading him to the stone beach as the tide broke over the grey with a white curl. She let go of his hand to lift up her long skirts to safety from the surf, her other hand swinging down to drag through the water.

The wind was stronger down by the water, the smell of saltwater stronger than the overpowering lavender everywhere else. Itachi watched as Sakura straightened up, still holding her skirt and cloak above the water, and turn her face upward. Her pink hair was flying around her.

He didn't think he had ever seen a sight more beautiful.

* * *

A/N: This is just a transition chapter; so don't hurt me for the shortness. I know Itachi seems OOC, but there's no ninja, so he was never pushed to be emotionless. He's actually human in this. Everyone had been asking for some Arashi and Miyako fluff, so there's a little bit. There will be a lot more to come. Those two have a very twisted relationship and it's more rooted in both their history as well as the history of their ancestors more than either of them know. And I'm giving away too much information. 

I hope the information about Kakashi's suicide helps you out with your theory Selah. And there's a little more for you to think about too Goatis. But just a little.

So my usual thank you notes:

**Selah M. Snow**: do I really have to repeat it? _The Leather Bound Sketchpad_. Remember it; love it. Just read it people.

**Goatis:** See above; only substitute the title for _The Isolation of Inner Sakura_.

**SidiousSith**

**Panda-Ink**

Until later,

Hikari

Oh, and Petty Harbour is a real town. It's a little fishing village in Newfoundland. I've always wanted to live in Newfoundland so I wanted to put a little bit of it in here. And as for the spelling of 'grey' and 'harbour', I may be American (sadly), but I grew up learning the British spellings.


	8. Chapter Seven: First Conversation

_**Possession**_

_Chapter Seven_

_The First Time I Spoke With You_

* * *

Noon the next day found Arashi and Miyako sitting in the storage rooms of the manor, surrounded by paper. Most were letters. Most were from Sakura's own organization of labeling every box with what it was.

"None of these are to Itachi."

"No," She replied, "But most are from Ino to Sakura while she was staying here."

"And that tells us nothing."

Miyako smiled, "Sorry. I was actually hoping to find the missing journals here."

"The what?" He asked, not even looking up from another letter from the Yamanaka.

"Sakura's journals are in a supposedly complete collection at the Uchiha prefecture. But to someone like me, who has spent their entire life studying these journals can see that there are several volumes missing. And some pages from the ones I do have," She explained, "Sakura died here. I think that if there really were an affair, she would have hid any evidence here. So chances are there are some Itachi letters, they're just in a better hiding place."

Arashi nodded, "That makes sense. After all, Sakura was rumored to have been friends with Sasori. It's possible that he built puzzle boxes for her to put those in."

The odd box in her hands reminded her of the puzzle box she had seen when she had been younger. She found a small heart inscribed on the bottom of the box and she hit it with the heel of her palm, the lid sliding open easily after that.

Inside was a bundle of lace that she gingerly picked up. Miyako hissed in pain as something pierced the skin of her finger. She unwrapped the fabric covering the next batch of letters, a broach falling out into her hand. Even in the gloom of the storeroom, she could see that it had once been quite beautiful, the black enamel on the metal was chipped, but it still aided her in seeing that it had once been a swirl of ebony with garnets set into it.

The light caught on one of the gems, the red flash pulling Arashi's attention away from the letter in his hand.

"What's that?"

She shrugged and set the broach down, pulling out the top letter.

* * *

_Dear Ino,_

_I know that I was meant to return this coming week, but the blizzards here are blocking the roads and freezing the waters. I am afraid that I will not be able to return as planned in time for your wedding._

_Sincerely,_

_Sakura_

* * *

_Dear Sakura,_

_We are just now receiving word of the weather in Tea Country. I will miss you, but I will be sure to give you all the details when you return. _

_Kakashi came back today with his group. He inquired after you and my father explained that you had gone to your grandmother's home. Your mother, who was in the shop at the time, seemed a little disturbed by that news. _

_On another note, Deidara is wondering if Itachi is treating you well. This comment confused me, as I was unaware that you had taken anyone other than Chika with you to __**Fukai Mori**__. Could you please explain to me what is going on?_

_Hugs and Kisses,_

_Ino_

* * *

"Sakura didn't tell her that Itachi was coming."

Miyako glanced up from reading, "Would you? Ino was the gossip queen in those days. Would you say that you, a married woman, would be taking an unmarried man along with you on a trip that could last an indefinite amount of time because of complications with the weather?"

"Well," Arashi sat back, his hands behind his head, "I will never be a married woman, so I don't know."

And a baby rattler ended up smashing against the side of his head.

"Idiot," She spat, "Just how old are you?"

He picked up the rattler, examining the silver work, "Twenty-six; same as you darling."

"Really? I could have sworn you were only two."

The Uzumaki glared before motioning for her to continue with the other letters.

* * *

_Dear Ino,_

_I wish that I could tell you everything, but I am afraid that I cannot. My mother has already intercepted a letter once and I cannot run the risk of her doing it again. _

_I can answer Deidara's question though. I am being treated quite well. I was given a broach of swirling ebony and crimson gems on our first trip to town. It reminds me so much of the giver. _

_Chika seems to love it here. I have never seen her so happy. She spends all day out in the lavender fields, chasing snowflakes that are as white as her fur. She reminds me of a young child in so many ways._

_If you could, could you draw my mother's attention elsewhere? She seems to be unhealthily obsessed with my relationship with Kakashi. He and I have already set down the rules for our marriage and everything is working out all right. You know these rules Ino, and I would very much appreciate it if my mother did not. She adores scandals, so put your gossip skills to the test and help me._

_Sincerely,_

_Sakura_

* * *

"Pinkie was a nasty piece of work," Arashi commented when Miyako finished the letter.

Onyx eyes turned on him in a blank look, "Yeah, her mother was a complete witch. Haruno Akemi was obsessed with appearances and reputations. Sakura, on the other hand, couldn't have cared less. As a result, there was a lot of tension between mother and daughter."

He leaned forward to pick up the fallen broach, turning it around in the light of the lamps they had brought in, "So Itachi gave this to her? It's beautiful," He looked up at his colleague as she stared at him, "And I think she was right. This does remind me of him."

"Do you even know what he looks like?"

"Yes, believe it or not some pictures do exist," He warily met her gaze, "Actually, you look a lot like him."

Another random baby toy crashed into his skull.

"That's not a compliment Shi-kun!" She hissed.

He smirked, "Yes it is. Uchiha Itachi is considered to be one of the best-looking men in Konoha's history. Personally I always thought he looked like his mother Mikoto."

"Now that is a compliment."

Arashi let his fingers trace the swirling metal of the broach, "Miya-chan, where do you keep getting all those baby toys?"

She nodded to her right, "There's a box there that's filled with them."

"Ah."

Miyako smiled wickedly and resumed reading.

* * *

_Dear Sakura,_

_I hope you know what you are doing. As your friend, I will stand by you in your decision. I just hope he is good enough for you to make this sacrifice._

_Your mother fell for the bait rather spectacularly. I let slip to a few people the knowledge of Hinata's little affair with that Uzumaki man. Now the whole town is in an uproar about it. It only became worse when they announced their engagement. It resulted in the Hyuga clan considering disowning her. You and any suspicions about Itachi are completely buried beneath that._

_You must bring me back that tea when you return._

_Hugs and Kisses,_

_Ino_

* * *

Miyako froze, turning to Arashi who refused to meet her gaze.

"Hinata was almost disowned for that?"

He finally looked up and nodded, "She was supposed to marry Inuzuka Kiba, but when she announced her engagement to Naruto before that one, she was saved from Kiba. But Naruto, though he was the son of the Yondaime Hokage, was not very well liked in Konoha at the time."

"Why? I thought Naruto was considered the greatest Hokage in existence when he became the Rokudaime," She pointed out.

"He was," Arashi explained carefully, "But before then he was blamed for the deaths of two of their greatest people. His mother had died giving birth to him, and his father died saving the village from an attack just moments later. Rumors began that he had been told of his beloved wife's death and had given up on his life afterwards. This of course is complete nonsense. The Yondaime never knew that his wife died. If he had known, he would have tried to be there for Naruto growing up. It was mistake, and nothing more. Eventually Naruto was allowed to marry Hinata when Tsunade made it clear that he was going to succeed her as the Hokage. The Hyuga relented upon learning that he was going to be leading the city. They married, and as you know they had a set of twins."

She smiled, "Hanako and Arashi."

"Yes," He nodded, "But Hanako died young in the flu epidemic that eventually claimed Itachi's life. There were rumors that Arashi-san had fallen in love with an Uchiha girl that was his cousin, but he married someone else in the end."

"That was Miyako-san. Her mother Hanabi was his mother Hinata's little sister after all."

She smirked and returned to the letters before her.

* * *

_Dear Ino,_

_Thank you for your support, it means so much to me. I promise to bring you back so much tea, you shall drown in it there will be so much._

_I feel both happy and bad for Naruto. He is an old friend, as is Hinata, and both deserve happiness. I sincerely hope they are allowed that happiness that seems to elude me while in Konoha. Here, I understand why they are willing to risk everything for love. Life really is bittersweet, is it not?_

_Sincerely,_

_Sakura_

* * *

"She was beginning to fall for him," He muttered.

Miyako shook her head, "No, I think she'd already fallen by this time."

He shifted around, moving over to lean up against her, and arm around her waist, "She doesn't sound very happy though."

"Would you be? She's married. Sakura understands that she can never truly be with Itachi," She whispered, empathizing with the poet she had studied for so long. She didn't even realize that she had leaned into Arashi's touch as she pulled out the reply letter.

Arashi took one look at the letter and felt a chill run down his spine, "That's not Ino's handwriting."

"I know."

* * *

_Dear Sakura,_

_Sasuke has been asking how you have been. He would have written, but his father is keeping him so busy with clan affairs._

_No one except me seems to have noticed that Itachi is missing as well. _

_Do not worry; your secret is safe with me. I just require one thing in return. I know you courted Sasuke in your younger years, and I wish to know how you managed to survive this insufferable clan enough to pursue another Uchiha. _

_Sincerely,_

_Uchiha Hanabi_

* * *

"So this is where Sakura's friendship with Hanabi began," Miyako said flatly, "I always was curious as to how two women that were so different could get along so well."

"Let's read the reply," Arashi whispered in her ear.

* * *

_Dear Hanabi,_

_Your letter surprised me; I was expecting one from Ino. Though, now that I think about it, it is almost time for her wedding. I guess I should not be surprised that she has not found the time to write back to me._

_My advice to the Uchiha clan is to try and stay around Uchiha Obito and his wife and children. They are all such beautiful souls. The same goes for Sasuke's mother Mikoto. She is an understanding woman of the best kind. Though, you would probably find an easier time with Obito's wife Rin, she is an outsider to the clan like you are. Their marriage has lasted for so long now that I think she might be able to help you out a great deal more than I can. _

_Your silence means the world to me right now. I cannot fathom what would happen should knowledge of this acquaintance with your brother-in-law were to become public. Konoha has an awful time with gossipers, and I am afraid that one day I will be branded for something that I could never have controlled._

_Sincerely,_

_Sakura_

* * *

_Dear Sakura,_

_Thank you for the advice. Rin really is a great help. She said that when it comes to Uchiha men, if you really love them, then there would be no problems. So I must ask this. Do you truly love Itachi?_

_Sincerely,_

_Hanabi_

* * *

"Is that true?"

Miyako turned to glare at Arashi, "Is what true?"

He leaned in to just inches away from her, "That if you really love an Uchiha man that nothing will go wrong?"

"It doesn't just apply to the men Shi-kun," She smirked. Their lips met briefly and in a second Arashi was running out the door.

"Arashi?" Miyako stared at the door for a few moments before she went back to the letters in front of her, trying to forget what had happened.

As for Arashi, he didn't stop running until he was at the edge of the forest where he slumped against a tree. He quickly pulled out the little phone from his pocket and dialed the familiar number.

"Hello?" The voice cracked over the connection.

"Hanako, it's me."

His sister paused on the other side, "Arashi? Is everything okay?"

"No," He leaned back and hit his head against the rough bark of the tree, "I'm falling for her again Hana."

"Again?" She snapped, "How can it be 'again' when you were never out of love with her in the first place?"

"You're not helping," He let his gaze wander back to the manor, "Why did I let her go in the first place?"

"I seem to recall you cheating on her."

"I was seventeen and an idiot, you should have stopped me," He shot back.

He heard his sister sigh, "Arashi, I can't help you with this. You have to figure things out with Miyako on your own."

"What good are you?"

"I can help with motivating you to forget your emotions and move on with the case though," Arashi recognized the business tone in her voice and he silence all rebellious thoughts in his mind, "Hyuga Hayato has recruited Nara Ken'ichi in some kind of investigation. He's been trying to get Umeko and me let him in to see the private collections about Sakura and Itachi that we both keep. We keep refusing, but I'm not sure how much longer we can find legitimate excuses to keep him out."

"The Uchiha can say that they don't want a Hyuga in their records on the basis of the old clan laws," He pointed out.

"But what about us?" She inquired, "Technically speaking we are Hyuga. We can't use the old clan laws to help us."

He shrugged, "Send the important documents over to Umeko-san and let him see the unimportant stuff."

Hanako was silent for a while, "Okay. I'll do that. Just hurry up and finish this."

Again his eyes traveled to the manor up on the hill surrounded by fog, "I will. The faster we get this done the faster I can get away from her."

"Is loving Miya-chan really so bad?"

He bit his lip, "Yes. She deserves better than me. Besides, we are descended from sisters. That's a little like incest."

"That was two hundred and fifty years ago!" He could almost hear the demon-like fury rising up in her voice before it receded and she whispered sorrowfully, "She never got over you."

A click signaled his sister ending the conversation as he put the phone away and just sat there, wondering idly if this was what the Arashi for whom he was named felt like when he realized he couldn't rightfully love Miyako-san all those years ago.

Back at the manor, Miyako was still sitting in the gloom reading by the dim light of the lamp. She had pulled out an old stereo and had let the solemn music fill the empty space around her. The letter in her hand was the one that she had been searching for. The one that gave the answers to questions she regretted asking.

* * *

_Dear Hanabi,_

_So much has happened to me in the year that I have known Itachi. If it is possible in that short amount of time, for us to only really have spoken through letters, I do love him. So much that it hurts. Yet I know my place. I am married, and as such, no good will come of this. He can never know._

_I look forward to speaking with you in person once the snow clears and we can return to Konoha. It is only the end of November, and the villagers here seem certain that we will be snowed in through March. Please pass this knowledge along to Tsunade; she will make sure the appropriate people know that I have been held up. I just ask that you not mention that Itachi is with me. I know Deidara has said that Itachi is visiting Sasori and was held in because of weather. _

_Sincerely,_

_Sakura_

* * *

She finished the last touches of the letter before sealing it with wax. Her emerald eyes were full of unshed tears her words had brought. A part of her was thankful that Itachi had left that morning to go to town.

In a flurry of movement she pulled on her green cloak, fastening the black and red broach into place and she slipped the letter into a pocket. Chika had gone with Itachi, leaving her free to take Suisei, the mare with a chocolate coat and a mane and tail of cream, to the edge of Petty Harbour where the postal office sat.

The ride went slowly, Suisei's normally sure feet careful on the snow and ice. The road had already been beaten down enough that patches of brown could be seen through the white, no doubt from Itachi's Kiku with Chika running alongside.

Sakura kept her gloved hands tight around the reins, paying close attention to the ground beneath her. It was hard for her to stay focused though. The swaying movement of Suisei's walk was making her sleepy.

The journey that normally lasted only a few minutes had managed to last half an hour, leaving Sakura eager to mail the letter in time for the coach. She just barely managed before returning to the manor.

As she sat in front of the fire, watching the flames dance, she laughed bitterly.

"Love is like a possession. When it invades you never notice it, and when it makes itself known it came be a demon," She whispered, tears welling up once more. As her spidery hand reached for a pen and a notebook, the ink spreading across the page in words that formed the lines that a tiny part of her knew would become immortal.

Across town, close to the harbour itself, a white Akita rolled around in the snow behind a toyshop. Just inside the shop, watching the dog play, were Itachi and a young redheaded man.

The redhead never took his eyes off the dog as he asked, "Do you know what you're doing?"

"You're channeling Deidara. He said the same thing when I decided to come."

"Never compare me to that inane thing."

Itachi smirked, "Someone is in a good mood. What has made you so sour Sasori?"

The toy maker glanced briefly towards the Uchiha before replying, "I saw what happened in the store next door through a window. If someone had recognized you it would have been the end of her."

"You recognized us."

"I'm different," Sasori glared, "I don't care about the things other people do."

"Then help me keep this a secret."

He sighed heavily, knowing that the Uchiha would never leave him alone unless he agreed. He nodded in a manner that reminded Itachi of a sage, "What do you want me to do?"

"Just stay silent, and we might need a couple of those puzzle boxes you used to make to hide the letters in eventually," He explained.

Itachi moved to leave, but Sasori caught his arm.

"Why are you doing so much for this woman? You've never cared like this before."

The Uchiha smirked, "Sakura is different."

"Because she's taken?" Sasori demanded, "Or because she was once your brother's?"

Itachi's smirk disappeared, "Neither. She's different because she is the first one to make me care. If it weren't for the fact that she is already married, I probably would have proposed to her by now."

Sasori chuckled darkly, "Who would have thought the apathetic Uchiha Itachi would melt for a young woman with hair the color of cherry blossoms?"

"You should meet her sometime," Itachi pulled away, opening the door to leave with Chika, "She is like no one you will ever meet."

He slipped out the door, the Akita jogging along beside him as he mounted the mare and set off to return to the manor.

Sakura was sitting in the library in front of the fire, her hand flying across the page when he arrived.

She didn't seem to notice him, but the tears in her eyes told him that he had missed something.

"Sakura?"

No answer. She didn't even look up from the velvet bound notebook in front of her.

He moved forward and knelt down beside her, placing and hand over hers to stop it from moving, the other hand going to just below her shoulder.

"Sakura?" He repeated.

She finally turned towards him with a heartbreaking smile, "Yes?"

"Is everything all right?"

He was once again given no answer as Sakura set the pen down and stared at the words, her head cradled in her hands as her elbows sat on the tabletop.

Itachi sighed and took the notebook away from her, ebony eyes flashing over her spidery script. The last four lines caught his sight and he was only confused more.

_

* * *

_

_Everything changes_

_Under the dark moon_

_The truth is shown_

* * *

"Sakura, did something happen?"

Chika looked up from where she was laying in front of the fire, her brown eyes curious at the scene involving her mistress.

Sakura simply pulled out a letter from a box at the edge of the table and handed it to him. He frowned slightly when he saw the signature of his brother's wife at the bottom of the page, but read the words anyway.

The medic watched his reaction carefully; unsure of what she had been thinking when she gave him Hanabi's last letter.

The corners of his mouth turned up slightly, "Rin always has had an odd way of putting things."

Onyx met emerald and Sakura felt like shrinking.

"Why are you taking this so hard?" He asked softly.

She froze, the stinging sensation building up in her eyes again, "Because I do, and I know that nothing good can come of it."

Itachi sighed and reached up to brush a stay strand of pink out of her face, "How much have you written?" He asked rhetorically, flipping through the pages to find dozens of poems and fragments written in the notebook that he knew had been empty when he had left that morning.

"_Hajimete Kimi to Shabetta_," She whispered, "That's what I was thinking of calling it."

"_The First Time I Spoke With You_," He replied, "It's an appropriate title I think."

That heart-wrenching smile of her returned, "I just need one thing from you."

"Anything."

"Tell me that you don't love me."

Itachi froze, "Sakura."

One of her small hand found its way to finger his jaw, the other to grip the black fabric of his shirt, "Tell me. I'm so sick of crying. I sick of feeling like there's a knife stuck in my heart that's being twisted every second," She took a shaky breath, "Just tell me you don't love me."

"I can't do that," He whispered before his hands found their way into her rose colored hair and he caught her lips in a kiss. Pulling away he saw that the tears had begun falling from her eyes, "Sakura."

She let her forehead rest on his, "Why are you doing this to me?"

Her fingers moved from his jaw to his lips, tracing them with feathery touches.

"You know I would never hurt you Sakura."

"I know," She cried so quietly he thought he had imagined it, "I only hurt myself. I'm the only one to blame for this pain."

He kissed her again, "This is my fault as much as it is yours. But what has happened has happened. We can't change it."

She slid out of the chair and onto the floor, her head moving to rest on his chest, her hand slipping from his lips to gather fabric in a fist like her other hand, "We can't do this."

His arms went around her, holding her close as she cried.

Chika remained where she was, her white fur glowing in the firelight. Her mistress was heartbroken and crying, but somehow the dog understood that only Itachi could help comfort her. The medic was broken, and a dog could only do so much to help heal a human's wounds.

She watched as Sakura fell asleep in his arms, and she followed him as he carried the young woman to her room and put her to bed. Chika took her normal spot of sleeping curled up on top of the covers at the foot of Sakura's bed, and from there she watched as the Uchiha took one last look before closing the door and walking across the hall to his own room.

Dogs were not thought of to be as smart as some. Only the Inuzuka really appreciated a dog's mind. Chika knew what was happening, to a degree. She could smell the ache of heartbreak around them both. And she could smell the floral scent of some new emotion blooming inside both. Yet all she could do was sit back and hope they figured things out on their own. She could hope for a happy ending to the tragic tale she had been thrown into.

Minutes after Itachi left the room and she heard his own bedroom door close, she twisted around to watch Sakura sleep.

The medic's pink hair was fanned out of the pillow around her, a blanket pulled up to her shoulders over her dark green dress. There were stains from tears running down her cheeks, her creased brow betraying the darkness invading her dreams.

It was a deal in blood that was written on clouds. Chika knew that eventually something would have to give, and all she could do was pray her mistress wasn't burned too badly in the fallout. The Akita liked Itachi and she didn't want to see him hurt either, but her loyalties were to Sakura first and foremost.

"_Itachi_."

Chika's ears perked up as the name slipped past Sakura's lips.

She had heard about the amount of time predicted before they would be able to leave.

It was going to be a long winter.

* * *

A/N: I almost cried writing this. I'm probably going to cry during later chapters. Maybe I should change the story from drama to tragedy.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the dog.

This chapter is dedicated to my first dog, Biscuit. I swear that dog was human sometimes. She always seemed to know when something was wrong and she was the best there was at helping make things better. I imagine Chika being the same way.

Now for the thank you note:

**Chocolate Chan**: There is a story by this author called _Backwards Fairytale_. I strongly suggest it.

**stoic-green**: A very interesting story called _An Untimely Mistake_. It's not your usual time-travel ItaSaku.

**Panda-Ink**

**Goatis**: I have said this how many times? You ought to know it by now. There is a story called _The Isolation of Inner Sakura_. Read it; love it.

**gare de lyon-ROAR**: A new story about dear Hinata. If you are reading this, go to gare's profile and check it out. It's rather interesting.

**Until next time,**

**Hikari-chan**

This was almost eleven pages. That's long. But not the longest this is probably going to get. Ye be warned.


	9. Chapter Eight: Break

_**Possession**_

_Chapter Eight_

_Break_

* * *

When Arashi returned to the manor, Miyako was curled up asleep on her side, the light from the lamp washing over her. He sat down beside her, just watching her dark lashes brush up against her cheeks. All around her were scattered letters between Sakura and Hanabi, with the occasional Ino letter. He knew Miyako would have taken notes on anything important in them, and he figured he would just read the notes later. 

His eyes flickered up to the boxes stacked behind her. Unconsciously his hand came up and rubbed the spot that had been abused by the various toys. He crawled over the sleeping Uchiha to where the boxes were and quickly found the open box of toys. Carefully moving the boxes resting on top of it, it quietly pulled it out and carried it back over Miyako's sleeping form.

He set the box down silently and grabbed the lamp, pulling it over to shield her from the bright light.

His breath almost stopped when he saw the name scrawled across the box in Sakura's elegant script.

_Miyako_.

Arashi reached out to grab the rattler that had hit him first, examining the extravagant workmanship of the toy. It had been specially made, and for an important child. The swirls engraved upon the silver seemed to create a scene of the nighttime scene.

_Of course_, he thought. Everything was falling into place. The toys had been handcrafted for the first child of Uchiha Sasuke. He began fishing through the box, noticing all of the toys seemed to be related to the night. It made sense, after all, the name Miyako did mean 'beautiful night child'. It was fitting for the dark Uchiha clan.

In his hands, a model horse turned over and something on the inside of a hoof caught his attention.

A scorpion.

"Sasori."

It really didn't surprise him. Uchiha Miyako had been born at the manor he was sitting in. It only made sense that Sasori had made her toys from a young age. He had been the only toy maker in this part of the country, and based on what Arashi had scene; Sasori's family was still the only toy makers in this area.

But Arashi had studied all of the Akatsuki, and knew first hand that none of Sasori's creations were what they appeared to be. He continued turning the horse over, looking for something else that was out of place. Finally returning to that hoof, he slid a fingernail between the leg and the hoof in question. It slid right off. He tipped the horse back upright and watched as a rolled up piece of paper slipped out, falling into his open palm.

He set the horse aside and unrolled the picture. Staring back at him were three faces. All were familiar. One was Uchiha Sasuke, sitting with his arms crossed between a smiling Haruno Sakura and the one person he hadn't seen in a long time. Uzumaki Naruto was staring up at him, a trademark fox grin set in place. The three friends looked so happy, so young and carefree. He knew from the lack of wedding rings that the three must have been no older than sixteen.

He remembered when he was sixteen, still in school and still with Miyako.

Something clicked in his mind and he began pulling out other toys. The rattler came next. He quickly found the scorpion on a tassel hanging around the widest part of the round top. He twisted it once and watched as the rattler came open to reveal several small objects that revealed themselves to be pieces of jewelry. One was a silver ring, the ruby stone wrapped in a fabric to protect it from damage inside the orb. The other two were a matching set of ruby earrings, the gemstones similarly wrapped.

He set them aside and pulled out a doll, flipping it over and lifting the dress to find the scorpion on the back. Arashi opened up the doll and found another photograph. This one was different though. It was of two people that looked a lot like Miya and him. Judging by the clothing, he guessed it was their namesakes.

Standing up, he set the doll and picture down. He stepped gingerly over Miyako and slipped through the boxes, looking for anything with Miyako's name on it.

One thing did catch his attention. Leaning up against the wall was a worn case with a tag bearing the name he was searching for. The case was ornate, and as he lifted it up, he realized it was fairly heavy too.

He carried it over to where he had been sitting, moving things with his feet to make enough room for the case. He popped the rusty locks and opened it up, shocked at what was inside.

It was a cello.

The wood was a faded burgundy, the varnish damaged with age. The strings were in desperate need of being replaced. The bow, which sat in a holder in the lid, was fraying and dull.

"It was Itachi's originally."

Arashi straightened up and glanced over at Miyako. Her eyes were just barely open, watching him in a way that made him think of a sleepy lion debating whether or not it should attack a grazing antelope.

He swallowed the lump in his throat, "I never knew he was a cellist."

"It's not common knowledge," She sat up, "Sasuke in particular didn't want that information to be given out. The cello was given to Miyako when she was turned six, the November before Itachi died. It was the only gift he ever gave her. As Itachi wasn't very well liked in the Uchiha clan, Sasuke decided to let Miyako keep the cello and cover by saying it had been Obito's, a cousin who also played the cello."

He wordlessly handed the things he had pulled out of the toys over to her.

She examined them carefully, nodding and setting them aside.

"That's it?" He snapped.

Miyako stared at him wide eyed, "Shi-kun?"

He ran a hand through his hair, "I just found things hidden inside of baby toys and you just nod and let it go?"

"Well, yes," She was still confused by his behavior changes, "This stuff isn't important to the case, so it doesn't really matter."

He sighed and pulled the jewelry next to the broach on the floor, "These match Miya-chan."

She shrugged, "Sakura was her governess, it would have been easy for her to hide things in the toys. Especially if Miyako-san was too young to notice."

"But why Miyako-san's things?"

"Easier access," She sighed again, "Shi-kun, you're thinking into this too much. Miyako-san was the daughter of Sasuke and Hanabi. If she had things from Sakura's affair with Itachi, then it only makes sense to hide them the one place someone would never think to look. At the time that would have been with Miyako-san."

He nodded, "That makes sense."

Miyako smiled and crawled over to the cello case, "Which means that there should be something here."

She pulled the bow out and her sure fingers found a groove at the top of the lid. She pulled it and the velvet fell loose, revealing journals and loose pages that had been pushed inside of the case.

"You're brilliant Miya."

She just blushed and picked up the first letter, reading as she was before.

* * *

_Dear Hanabi,_

_I do not know what I should do anymore. I love him, I really do, but this is tearing me up. I need some way to know if I am doing the right thing by risking everything for such a foolish reason like love. _

_I have known him for a little over a year now, and the pain building up inside my heart is almost unbearable. I asked him to tell me that he did not love me. It would have made things so much easier if he had said that to me. Alas, his only reply was that he could not tell me that. He held me as I cried myself to sleep that night, and made sure I was put to bed afterwards. He is a gentleman and everything he does makes me love him more. _

_I want this to stop Hanabi, but I do not know how to make it. I know that Kakashi will not mind if I choose Itachi over him. Chances are he would be happy to know that I found someone that makes me happy. It is one of the reasons why my happiness is so tainted with bitterness. Konoha. What would Konoha think if they knew? They accepted Hinata and Naruto, but would they accept Mrs. Hatake and Itachi? That is all I am to them after all. Tsunade might understand, as would Ino. But what would rest of them think?_

* * *

"This girl is going to break my heart," Miyako complained as she set the aging paper down. 

"Why?"

She met Arashi's blue eyes and had to look away, "Because I can see a lot of myself in her."

It was his turn to look away in shame as finished the letter.

* * *

_I am having potential problems at keeping this relation a secret as it was always meant to be. I know you were one a genius at pranks, enough to rival Naruto. The problem is my mother, Haruno Akemi. I ask that you do all in your power to keep her silent and away from finding the correct clues. _

_Sincerely,_

_Sakura_

* * *

"Do you know anything about Hanabi's prank days?" Miyako inquired the Uzumaki, remember his own days of mischief that she had often helped in. 

"Just that she was considered a little demon before Sasuke managed to tame her a little bit," He responded blandly, "Why do you think the Hyuga clan respected him so much? He stopped a 'little hellion of a monster' from terrorizing them anymore."

She bit the inside of her lip to keep from yelling at him, instead opting for a, "The Hyuga are a lovable bunch aren't they?"

Arashi stared at her blankly in a way that reminded her of Hayato, "Just continue Miya-chan."

She had to hold back a flinch at the way her name sounded with that voice. She picked up the letter and realized that she really did understand Sakura's pain. Vaguely she wondered if this was what the first Miyako felt like when she lost her Arashi all those years ago.

* * *

_Dear Hanabi,_

_I wrote to you early this morning, before the sun rose. I have not received your reply, as the other letter will not have reached you yet._

_I find it important to state that I do not believe I can face him today. I cannot love him and as such I cannot bring myself to see him again. Yet we are still snowed in here at the manor, and I am at a loss of what to do._

_My heart feels as if it is going to burst at any moment. _

_I love him so much. _

_Tell me Hanabi; is this what it felt like for you when you fell in love with Sasuke?_

_Sincerely,_

_Sakura_

* * *

The medic wiped the stinging tears from her eyes. She bit her lip to ensure that no more would fall. Chika was curled up at her feet on the bed, staring intently at her. 

"Don't look at me like that," She groaned. Standing up she quickly entered the washroom attached to her room. She was in and out of the shower in record time, dressing in a gown of navy blue.

The Akita, now almost full grown, padded out of the room after her mistress, following the medic closely as Sakura returned to the library she had fallen asleep in the night before. She stood before the window, watching a light snow lightly settle over the white landscape. She was chilled to the bone, but couldn't bring herself to move.

She heard Chika whine somewhere behind her and soon after felt two arms slide around her waist, holding her against a warm body. Ebony strands tickled the skin on her neck and he let his chin rest on her shoulder.

The burning sensation in her eyes returned, "Don't do this to me, please don't do this to me."

He only held her tighter, "I'm sorry for any pain I've caused," He turned towards her, his lips brushing the shell of her ear, "But I will not let you go so easily."

Sakura pushed the tear reflex down and rattled off the first poem that popped into her mind.

* * *

"_Just like a star_

_Shooting across the sky_

_My tears stop for you_

_And my heart soars so high_

_Yet I am so afraid of another scar_

_Just do not break my heart_

_Before we have a chance to start_

_I am so afraid of you_

_And I am so afraid of me_

_These jaded eyes can see_

_That we will only break_

_Should our fragile hearts pursue_

_These desires of bitter honey_

_Of roses and lilies_

_And the smiles that I give_

_The misplaced affection_

_That can only lead to tragedy._"

* * *

Sakura sighed, relieved that her tactic for escaping her tears had worked. Behind her, she felt Itachi become still. 

"We need to talk," He finally said, pulling away from her in the process.

She immediately missed the warmth of his body in the freezing air by the window. Turning around, she let her eyes follow him to one of the plush red chairs on either side of the fireplace.

Taking a deep breath, she began what she had been planning since she had written that final letter.

"I want to apologize for last night, I was out of line."

"Don't," Itachi's sharp voice cut her off.

She stared at him, bewildered, "What?"

With one graceful hand, he gestured for her to move over to him. She complied, telling herself that it was only because the window was too cold.

When she was close enough, Itachi wrapped a hand around her tiny wrist, pulling her gently to sit down on the chair with him.

She placed her hands on his chest, pushing lightly, "No. I can't do this."

He pulled her back to him, locking her in place with his arms.

"Yes you can," His voice was soft and smooth, it almost crumbled her resolve.

She shook her head, "No. I'm married."

"You said it was nothing like a marriage."

"It's not."

Onyx met emerald, "Then what, pray tell, is the problem?"

"This!" She hissed, "This is wrong. There are reasons that there are laws against it."

He sighed and closed his eyes, leaning his head back. In that soft voice she adored so much, she hear him compose lines in much the same way she had done just minutes ago.

* * *

"_A mockingbird cannot create_

_A song of beauty_

_A song of the sea_

_A song of the beautiful spring_

_A heart can sing_

_But it cannot be heard_

_Two souls can join_

_Though neither may know_

_Two hearts can connect_

_Their souls forever intertwined_

_Though a world away_

_A white lion may roar_

_Somewhere in between_

_As a messenger for some small god_

_A create if you will_

_That thought it wise to tie a red string_

_A sweet red string_

_To two unfortunate souls_

_Binding them for eternity_

_But each other they shall never see_

_Their tale could break a thousand beating hearts_

_And stop their rapid beating_

_If their tale were told_

_A wolf as white as snow_

_May send a lonesome cry_

_To the heaven above_

_To the white moon_

_She may call_

_And never be heard_

_She my cry_

_And never be held_

_She may love_

_And never be loved_

_A world away_

_A fact she will never know_

_A lion as white as snow_

_Is as alone as she_

_They are messengers_

_They are puppets much abused_

_They are messengers_

_Helping one and all_

_When they cannot help themselves_

_Never themselves_

_For they are messengers_

_Doing the bidding of some small god_

_They never stop and pause_

_They never listen to their hearts_

_Their own frantic hearts_

_They ever search for one another_

_And should they ever meet_

_A meeting they will not see_

_Just a passer-by_

_Walking down the street_

_Their hearts in unison do beat_

_But they shall never know_

_And should love come knocking_

_By some dreadful luck_

_They will know only the pain_

_For what lone wolf_

_Though her heart cries out_

_Could ever love a lion_

_Her heart says she can_

_Says she does_

_Her mind says she cannot_

_Says she loves not_

_He lion blazing white like the midday sun_

_Does not understand_

_Cannot understand_

_For she tells him not a word_

_So he is left loving_

_But never knowing_

_And she is left mourning_

_And always knowing_

_These messengers of small gods_

_White coats of ivory white_

_And hearts like muddied snow_

_Cry for love and pity_

_Always searching for the other_

_But never finding_

_But never knowing._"

* * *

His voice trailed off and Sakura's eyes had long fallen closed. She finally cracked one open and halfheartedly glared. 

"You always have had more talent."

He smirked, "I am Uchiha."

"That's not an excuse," Sakura shot back. She realized that her anger had dissipated during the composition, "I hate you."

"No you don't," He whispered.

Her green eyes flickered over to where Chika feigned sleep in front of the fire, "We're a mess aren't we?"

"That is one way of putting it."

She stood up, moving to the floor to sit next to the Akita, "What were you planning on calling it?"

"I am not quite sure yet," He leaned forward in the chair, resting his elbows on his knees, "I was thinking _Messengers_."

"It fits."

"And yours?"

Sakura stilled and thought back to the words she had spoken, "_Break_."

Itachi nodded and they fell into silence. Sakura was absentmindedly running her fingers through the think white fur that covered the dog's body and Itachi was simply watching them. Eventually he pulled over a notebook and began writing. The medic saw this movement, but discarded it. _Messengers_ was a masterpiece to her, of course he would write it down before he forgot it. Seeing Chika's look she did the same with _Break_.

"We're past the point of no return," She whispered, never taking her eyes off of the dancing flames. The poems had been recorded hours ago, and silence had reigned since then.

From the corner of her eye, she watched him nod, "Somehow, I do not believe that either of us would turn back if given the opportunity."

Chika wimpered and lightly closed her mouth over Sakura's hand. The medic smiled and stood, picking up a small bag on the way. At the door she tied the bag onto the dog and inserted the two letters and other nessecary items for the postmaster.

"You know where to take these."

Chika nodded and took off towards town. Smiling, Sakura closed the door and returned to the library.

"That dog is unlike any other I have ever met," Itachi said as she entered.

She smiled again, "I know. Sometimes I think she's too smart for her own good."

"Like her mistress."

Sakura huffed and sent a pillow flying over the back of the chair. His black hair was messy when he turned around, telling her she had hit her target.

A mischevious smirk passed over the medic's lips as she spun and ran out of the library, challenging him to find her. She knew it would take forever though. Itachi always walked while she always ran.

As she ducked into a room and hid beneath the ancient lace and silk coverings of the bassinet that had been in her family for years, she bit back a laugh.

He was right, there was no way she could bring herself to turn away from him now.

* * *

_Dear Sakura,_

_I cannot help you with this dilemma. This is something for you and you alone to discover. _

_Based on what you have told me about Itachi's actions towards you, I have to say that it is obvious what the nature of his emotions towards you are. _

_In my opinion, Konoha does not matter. If you love him, then go for it. There is no need for your tears or your pain this time. If Kakashi understands, then you should be able to feel safe in telling Itachi outright how you see him. If it is Akemi-san you are worried about, then just leave her to me. Since my marriage I have not been able to pull any of my usual pranks. I know my old friends are looking for a target too. And I am almost certain that Obito and his two children would be more than happy to help._

_When it was Sasuke and me, I just knew that everything would turn out for the better. But that is what you must have in order for this to work. Faith. I understand that that must seem odd coming from me, but I stand by it._

_I hope you find what you are looking for Sakura. Though I know that you will not have to look any further than Itachi. Maybe one day I will be able to hold my head high and call you my sister._

_Sincerely,_

_Hanabi_

* * *

Sakura stepped off the train into the mid March weather of Konohagakure, Chika stepping onto the platform with her. 

It had been a long winter, but a happy one. From November to March she had been stranded at Petty Harbour with Itachi, and as she looked back to the man stepping off the train behind her, she idly realized that she wouldn't have had it any other way. She also knew, somewhere in her mind, that she wished it had never ended.

They parted ways and Sakura saw Sasuke and Hanabi standing a few feet from him. Sasuke didn't recognize her beneath the emerald cloak, but Hanabi gave a knowing smile as Sakura turned away and continued on her way to the house she shared with Kakashi.

"Hello Ma'am," Shiori greeted her at the gates, "I'm sorry to say that the Master is away again."

Sakura nodded, "That is all right Shiori. I was planning on resuming my hospital duties anyway."

The maid nodded and let the pink-haired lady pass, Akita in tow.

Inside the safety of her own wing, she turned to Chika as she removed the green cloak. Once the cloak was safely hidden inside a trunk, she placed her hands on her hips and smiled down at the white dog.

"Two years," She began under her breath, green eyes lighting up. It was quiet, but she knew the dog could hear her, "I can't believe this has actually lasted almost two years."

She fell silent as the door opened and a woman entered.

"I'm sorry if I am disturbing you," The newcomer said with an air of snobbish pride that drove Sakura to a quick temper, "But I needed to speak with you. It really is quite urgent."

Sakura straightened up and stared at the woman with absolute hatred burning in her eyes, the only emotion displayed in her otherwise stoic expression.

"Mother," She adknowledged the woman standing haughtily in her room.

Akemi glared in disapproval at her daughter, "Take a seat Sakura, this will be a long conversation."

The medic didn't move, "This is my home. I am the lady of this house. You do not tell me what to do while on these premises. You do not tell me what to do at all. The only one that may order me in the privacy of my own home is my husband."

The words left a bitter taste in her mouth. She knew that was how most women had life in their homes. Kakashi had never given her an order though, but Akemi didn't know that and in Sakura's opinion she really didn't need to know.

"My apologies."

_Translation: I don't care. You will do as you are told_.

Chika growled softly as Sakura turned away from her mother, picking up a pitcher of water and a glass from her desk.

"Might I inquire as to why you are here?"

_Translation: If you are here to be a royal pain then just get out._

"It is about your marriage."

Sakura froze upon hearing the icy tone in Akemi's voice. She turned around and smiled sweetly, the expression not reaching her emerald eyes.

"Of course."

She realized that it was going to be a long day. She felt Chika curl up next to her, her head falling on Sakura's tiny foot. The Akita knew as much as Sakura knew that she missed her dark poet already. And both had a sinking feeling that this conversation was going to make that sentiment worse.

* * *

A/N: On a note about _Messengers_, I was watching _Africa's Outsiders_ on Animal Planet and the white lion on there inspired me to write that. 

Disclaimer: Me no own. The dog, the poems, and sadly the mother are mine.

Next chapter is Akemi and Sakura, showdown to the death! Not really, but it's going to be interesting.

I wasn't too happy with this chapter. I knew Itachi and Sakura were going to reconcile after what happened last chapter but it didn't turn out the way I wanted it too. Still, if I don't go ahead and post it, this chapter will never be put up. Most of it was written when I really needed sleep (three in the morning) but I went ahead and left it the way I originally wrote it.

The thank you note:

**Goatis**: See last chapter 

**Selah M. Snow**: See last chapter before last chapter (I'm sorry I didn't get your review in time to mention you in the last chapter)

**stoic-green**: See last chapter

**SidiousSith**: Note in () applies to you too. Chocolate Chan: See last chapter gare de lyon-ROAR: See last chapter Panda-Ink 

**tricia868**

**uchiha-sisters**

_Until next time,_

_Hikari-chan_


	10. Chapter Nine: Clay Angel

_**Possession**_

_Chapter Nine_

_Clay Angel_

* * *

Miyako sighed for what felt like the thousandth time that day. With hands shoved in the pockets of her coat, she glanced over at the man walking beside her.

His hair was spiked as usual, the brilliant blonde a beacon in the foggy weather of the Konoha autumn. His blue eyes were fixed on the sidewalk ahead of them. His mouth fixed in a straight line somewhere between a frown and a grimace.

They had just returned with boxes of letters and journals from the manor. Both had thought that their case was at a standstill when Umeko had informed Miyako that she had found the key to a piece of Uchiha property that hadn't been touched since it's last owner had died.

So they were walking through Konoha, not speaking, to visit the home of Uchiha Itachi.

The little bakery that Uzumaki Hinata had owned all those years ago had been bought by the Akimichi family when her husband had become the Rokudaime, and along with the shop that Chouji owned because of Ino's inheritance, they were able to join the two to create the little café where Chouko worked.

The ditzy blonde girl had waved to her grim friends, receiving a nod from Arashi and a small wave from Miyako. Neither stayed to talk and instead moved to the back of the kitchen where they went up a hidden staircase. At the top, Miyako pulled out the key and unlocked the door. With it open, she took a step into history.

"Wow," Her voice seemed to echo in the abandoned apartment as she looked about the hallway. Through a door on her left she could see a massive room open to the hall and filled with windows that had been covered partially with newspaper. To her right she could see rooms that she assumed were Deidara's bedroom and the other necessary rooms for life. She turned her dark eyes to the closed door at the far end of the hall, "It's there."

She felt Arashi nod behind her and he brushed past her icily to move into Itachi's study.

Miyako had to clench her jaw to keep the tears from falling. Since the incident back at the manor, Arashi had barely said a word to her. She could feel her old ire, a fearsome anger that she had buried upon graduating to the university, rising up and spreading once again.

"Miyako," His voice carried from the study to where she was still standing in the hallway.

She snapped out of her reverie and quickly moved into the study with him. He was standing at a desk, an open notebook before him.

"What is it?"

His blue eyes never met her as he read:

* * *

"_A dragon twisting_

_Dancing through the sky_

_A wolf flying_

_Rushing through the trees_

_She dances like the wind_

_She sings like the lights_

_The stunning lights_

_That paint the northern skies_

_With tears of a dove_

_And the heart of an angel_

_In her breast she hides_

_A heart not beating_

_Made of ink and pulp_

_Her halo resting on her brow_

_Her wings are stunning_

_But an artist's bane they are_

_Her hair lacks color_

_But should be_

_The gentle color of spring's new petals_

_Her eyes close forever_

_Should jade be_

_She is the keeper _

_The holder of my sins_

_I pray she never breaks_

_Till long gone am I_

_For should these sins see light_

_Before I see eternal dark_

_My passage to the good_

_Will be forever stained_

_And the pits of Hell_

_This village will demand_

_My clay angel_

_Caught between sorrow and elation_

_Forever hold my whispered sins_

_Within your holy temple._"

* * *

Miyako swore, "We're in the wrong place."

"Care to explain?"

"Only if you grow up and start acting like Uzumaki Arashi," She shot back, a hand covering her mouth as the words left.

He glanced toward her, "I don't know what you're talking about."

She hissed in anger, "Like hell you don't know! You're acting like Hayato or one of the Uchiha elders. Either grow up or I'm off the case."

A knot formed in Arashi's throat as he thought about that prospect, "I'm sorry."

"No you're not," She ran a hand through her hair, turning away from him, "This is just like when we were seventeen. I hated it back then and I hate it now."

Hanako's words came rushing back to the blonde.

He reached out and pulled Miyako to him, whispering in her ear, "You deserve better than me."

She glared and put her arms around his neck, "I don't want better."

"You're a mess Miya-chan," Arashi sighed, setting his head on her shoulder and his arms around her waist.

"So are you Shi-kun."

"Are you going to tell me about the place that poem is talking about?"

Miyako leaned back a little, still in his arms, "Well, it's not exactly a place that he's talking about. It's more of a thing that's in a different place and we're not going to be able to find what we need."

"Explain."

With one hand she pulled the notebook closer to the edge.

"Look here," She pointed at the top of the poem, "It mentions both and angel and a heart of 'ink and pulp'. That tells me that there are letters inside of a figure of an angel. The lines about the hair and eyes suggest that the letters or other papers have to do with Sakura. The line about being the 'holder of my sins' tells me that there are more secrets inside this. Whatever this is, it's more incriminating that what we've already found if he thought Konoha would condemn him to Hell for this. This here about a 'holy temple' says to me that it is inside her body, and something is inside of her head as well. It's a dual meaning."

"So where is this clay angel?"

Miyako made a face, "That's the problem."

"What do you mean?"

"There is a statue of a praying angel that was made by Deidara. It is hollow, and extremely fragile. Originally it was out in the open, but Sakura convinced Sasuke to build a building around the grave that it sat on in order to preserve the statue."

He examined the poem again, "Sounds to me as if Sakura knew what was in there and just didn't want it to be revealed."

"It's on Itachi's grave."

Arashi froze, "You're joking. Please tell me you're joking."

"Sorry," Miyako gave a weak smile and pulled away from him, pulling out a little silver phone, "Let me call Umeko and see if she knows of a way to get inside the statue."

She stepped out of the room and he heard her footsteps enter the studio down the hall. Arashi, now alone, continued his exploration of the room.

It was richly furnished, if books could be considered furnishings that is. Aside from the desk and its chair, there were bookcases upon bookcases. Each one was filled to the brim with both books and notebooks.

Off to his right, there was a bookcase that was filled with titles that caught his attention.

_Nakushita Kotoba _sat happily next to _Fukai Mori_ and something with the words _Hajimete Kimi to Shabetta _scrawled across the spine. He pulled the three off the shelf and began flipping through the pages, amazed at what he saw.

"This has got to be some of Sakura's best work."

"Arashi?"

He looked up to see Miyako walking back into the room, a dark look in her eyes.

"What did Umeko-san say?"

She walked over to him, glancing down at the anthologies on the desk, "The statue has to be destroyed."

"Is there no other way?" He inquired.

"No," She shook her head, "The statue is hollow and old. If we tried to take a large enough piece out to remove everything inside the structural integrity would fail and it would collapse. If we made the hole smaller, it would still collapse. And we might miss something."

"So let me get this straight, we have to destroy one of Deidara's greatest creations to get to this stuff?"

She nodded, "Yes. And this is Deidara's masterpiece, none of his other work even compares to this."

Arashi looked down at the poem that started this, "I can't believe I'm agreeing to this."

"We have no other choice. We'll come back here after we've gone through what is in the angel," She consoled.

He nodded and they returned to the Uchiha prefecture and a waiting Umeko.

"I was beginning to think you two had chickened out on me," The violet-eyed historian laughed when they finally showed up at the grave sight.

Arashi noted that the little building surrounding Itachi's grave was gothic in architecture, but there were things that made him think Sakura had a hand in it's design. There were cherry blossoms here and there, hidden by vines and swirls of rock that reminded him of the broach. He followed Miyako and her cousin inside, gaping at the praying angel on top of the tombstone.

She was beautiful. Her hair was a river of waves mixing with her robe, which was the same. The sleeves swooped down to the ground around her kneeling knees, her hands held up to her lips in a praying motion. Her eyes were closed, but he saw the features of a Hyuga in her face, rather than the Haruno that Itachi had alluded to. Her halo was a circlet around her brow, her wings not quite outstretched behind her.

She was beautiful, and she was heartbreaking.

"We have to destroy that?" He whined.

Miyako nodded, taking a hammer from Umeko. When she caught Arashi's disbelieving look, she explained, "Deidara was a sculptor, but he started out as an implosions expert."

"I know that!" He hissed.

Umeko laughed as Miyako sighed, "We figured a hammer was the best way to destroy the statue in a way that would have done Deidara justice and at the same time protect the papers within."

Arashi caved and nodded in consent, "I hate it when you're right."

"Darling," She hefted the hammer up over her shoulder like a bat, "I'm always right."

The hammer swung, smashing the stunning angel to pieces of broken clay with paper flying everywhere. He watched as the wings collapsed without support, smashing on the hard ground.

It vaguely registered in his mind that he was standing on the grave of one of the most respected men in Konoha's history and he was aiding in the destruction of said man's tombstone.

"I am so going to Hell for this."

Miyako and Umeko ignored him; the younger of two Uchiha bent down and retrieved a letter.

* * *

_My Dearest Itachi,_

_I was visited today by someone I did not expect. My mother, the detestable witch Akemi, decided to drop in today as I returned from the train station. She said she wished to speak to me about matters concerning my marriage to Kakashi. I was so afraid she knew about us. It would be just like her to have had spies in Petty Harbour when she heard that I was headed out there._

_On a lighter note, most people I have seen so far have commented on the broach you gave me. It is quite beautiful, and it seems I am not the only one who thinks so. Somehow, it reminds me of your eyes. Both your eyes and the broach are dark and beautiful, with a hint at being a dangerous red in another lifetime. _

_I look forward to seeing you again. I only hope that that will be possible for us to meet now that we are once again inside Konoha's walls._

_With love,_

_Sakura_

* * *

Sakura sat calmly on the edge of her desk, waiting for the intruder to continue.

"I came here just a few moments ago," Akemi began, "With the intention of inquiring as to why you decided to go to that woman's," She said it as a curse, "Manor when you knew the weather would take a turn for the worst. But when I arrived at the main entrance, that old servant man informed me that I was at the wrong entrance."

There seemed to be a block of ice in Sakura's stomach as it sank lower with a minute amount of pain in her head. This was going to be long.

"I am sorry for the confusion."

_Translation: You should have sent him to get me rather than come here on your own. It's bad taste._

Akemi smiled with a sickening sweetness, "Do you mind telling me why you and your husband practically live in different houses?"

"That is none of your business."

_Translation: Shut up now before a letter opener finds it's way through a vital organ._

"Is this why there is no heir? Are you still pure?"

Sakura recoiled at the woman's meaning, but forced a sickening smile of her own, "Yes Mother."

_Translation: I'm as pure as the untouched snow and when it comes to Kakashi I intend to stay that way._

At her feet, Chika growled.

"You're a disgrace to the Haruno name!" Akemi screeched.

Sakura didn't move an inch, "No, you are," She pushed off of the desk, walking towards the red-haired woman with a dark aura swirling around her.

"You are a woman," Akemi continued, not understanding that it would be wiser to remain silent, "Your job is to make your husband happy and to produce an heir. You should have died a spinster the way you carry on!"

Sakura pushed the loud woman into a wall, moving quickly to hold her there, "The way you did? You married an old widowed merchant with a preteen daughter so you didn't have to have your own child and ruin that _stunning_ figure of yours."

"That doesn't change the fact that I am your mother."

The medic's hand went crashing across the woman's face. The angry red welt left behind brought a warm flame of happiness to Sakura's chest. But it was buried beneath the icy white blaze of anger.

"No, you are not," Sakura hissed, "My mother was Haruno Nozomi. She was the woman that you could never dream of being. The only reason my father married a harlot like you is because he thought I needed a mother. And for your information, I would have been fine on my own. The only reason Father agreed to this marriage is because you insisted on it."

Akemi's mouth opened and shut like a fish's. She finally blushed furiously and slipped out of Sakura's hold, disappearing through the doorway.

"Sakura?"

The medic turned to see Hanabi standing bewildered at the door. Her lavender cream eyes were wide with shock; her soft lilac dress seemed to be moving with wind if Sakura squinted.

"Hello, I'm sorry you had to see that."

The Uchiha bride nodded and walked into the study, closing the door securely behind her. She took a look at Chika, "Could she stand guard, I don't want anyone interrupting us."

Sakura nodded and gave the order to Chika; the dog's honey eyes still dark from the encounter with Akemi.

"So, what did you want to say?"

Hanabi squealed softly, "Let me see this broach he gave you!"

The medic smiled and pulled the object requested out of a box on the desk and handed it to the excited woman, "How did you even know about it?"

"Ino told me once she found out you had been talking to me about Itachi," Her Hyuga eyes swept over the garnet and black swirls, "It's beautiful."

"I know," Sakura giggled, "Who knew he was such a sweetheart when you got him away from Konoha?"

"I didn't and I married his brother," Hanabi scoffed, handing the broach back to its owner, "So, are you going to see him again?"

"I'm going to try, but Akemi has been paying closer attention to my marriage now that she's figured out…stuff."

"Want me to make sure she shuts up?"

Sakura smiled maliciously, "Destroy her."

Hanabi's smile matched hers, "Gladly. Now, changing subjects, how can we orchestrate an meeting between you and Itachi where the two of you will actually be able to spend time together?"

Green eyes flickered over to the clock on a bookshelf, "I don't know, but we'll have to talk later. I need to get to the hospital."

"Okay," Her lavender eyes lit up, "Want to come to lunch tomorrow with Sasuke and me? That little sushi place on the north end of town."

Sakura smiled widely, "How about noon?"

Hanabi nodded and left. Chika seemed to understand. So when Sakura vanished from the house in her medic's uniform, the Akita made no move to follow.

"Sakura!" Tsunade's voice boomed across the hallway as Sakura slid onto the floor with the doctors' offices, "I'm so glad you're back!"

The pink-haired medic seemed to understand what that sweet smile and predatory gleam in amber eyes meant. She groaned and led the way to the emergency room.

It was late in the evening when Sakura finally returned to her office, she sank into her desk chair.

"I hate my mentor," She groaned. It was empty in real meaning, but sometimes Tsunade really did work her too hard.

A cough from the doorway caught her attention and she turned to see Itachi standing against the frame. She smiled widely until she noticed the cloth covering his left hand and forearm.

The blood covered cloth.

"What did you do?" She hissed, jumping up from her chair and pulling him in. She sat him down on the edge of her desk and closed the door, locking it with a _click_. Moving over to the lone window, she made sure the curtains were tightly drawn before facing her patient with a glare, "Well?"

He held up the injured arm, "Could you take care of this first?"

She sighed and threw up her hands, moving over to inspect the wound all the same. When she was done, she cleaned it and pulled out a needle, being careful to keep the stitches going into his arm as small as possible.

"Are you going to answer me?" She asked in a softer voice.

"Accident in Deidara's studio," He answered bluntly.

She stood up and cleaned the wound again, wrapping it in bandages.

"Like I'm really going to believe that," She whispered, "I am quite certain that you are the only patient I have ever had that intentionally hurt themselves in order to see the doctor. Most people are afraid of us."

He smirked and placed his hands on her hips, pulling her closer, "You're not that scary."

"Or you're not easily scared. Is that what you mean?"

"Maybe."

She returned his smirk and pressed her lips to his.

"I think it's rather endearing."

He scoffed, "You would."

She kissed him again, "You should go."

"You mean that you should go."

"Maybe," She licked her lips and stared at him, "Can you 'accidentally' show up at that sushi restaurant tomorrow at noon? I'm eating lunch with Sasuke and Hanabi. It shouldn't look suspicious if Sasuke's brother were to conveniently drop by."

"You're right," He replied.

She leaned forward, her forehead on his as her green eyes locked with his black ones, "I'm always right."

"Not always."

She rolled her eyes and let him catch her in another kiss.

* * *

A/N: Another filler. Sorry! I needed to get this scene in the hospital out. I've been planning it from the beginning. I own nothing but the dog and the broach. Which reminds me, I would like to congratulate **stoic-green**. You were the only one guess that the broach was supposed to be the Mangekyo Sharingan. There may have been others, but **stoic-green** was the only one to mention it.

There will be a time-skip in the next chapter. Just so you know.

Thank you:

**selandora: **She has a brilliant story called _Defining Evil_. It is a classic ItaSaku. Read it; love it; worship it. And selandora, I hope this was a happy/fluffy enough chapter to help battle the angst of _Defining Evil_.

**stoic-green**: See last chapter. And does this answer your question about Akemi?

**Panda-Ink**

**uchiha-sisters**

**Goatis**: How many times have I told you readers? And Goatis, I loved the 'wicked witch of the west' comment. Brilliant!

**Chocolate Chan**: See above for the readers. To Chocolate: I hope you feel better. Akemi doesn't know…yet.

Until next time _mon amis_,

Hikari-chan or Kari-chan, both will do.


	11. Chapter Ten: Memories In the Rain

_**Possession**_

_Chapter Ten_

_Memories In the Rain_

* * *

In the old section of the Uchiha prefecture, there was an abandoned house. This house was filled with secrets from a time long ago. As the rain beat down upon the house without mercy, some of those secrets came to light.

The largest room in the house was the dining room. All furniture had long ago been removed, and the two figures sitting in the center of the room had filled it with a low table and countless boxes and files.

By the light of the lamp in the middle of the table, occasionally helped out by a spider web of lightening outside, the two could be seen.

One was male, with hair like sunlight that stuck up at odd angles. His skin was lightly sun-kissed, his eyes a blank mix of cream and sky.

The other, a female, was the essence of the night compared to him. Her raven hair is swept back elegantly, her obsidian eyes trained on the letters before her with an amazing focus. Her skin is creamy white in the gloom, lighting up pearl white with the flashes of blue outside.

In that room, surrounded by the letters of days long gone, the memories hidden in the rain would see the clear skies once more.

"Listen to this," The woman muttered as she began to recite the words on the page.

* * *

"_Memories are formed_

_Like the ripples of a pond_

_Caused by angels' tears_

_Falling from the silver heavens_

_They are formed_

_On sunny days_

_With a flower's smile_

_And nighttime's gleam_

_They are held dearly in each soul_

_The memories that must fade_

_But the past is black_

_And the future bleak_

_All that is left_

_Is the moment we occupy_

_At this very second_

_Otherwise we shall fall_

_And see the decay we have caused_."

* * *

"They were always aware of the fact that they couldn't last," The man commented, "What do you think Miyako?"

The woman identified as Miyako shrugged, "This is Sakura's handwriting, and I think she definitely grew up in her time with Itachi. I also think that the heartbreak we found in the letters from their first time at Petty Harbour never faded. She was still feeling it when she wrote this."

"Is there a date?"

Dark eyes scanned the paper quickly, "Yeah. She would have been twenty-six."

"And they met when she was twenty-four, right?" He went back to his own letter as she picked up a new one.

"Yes."

"Here's another one," He announced, reading the words carefully.

* * *

"_Eternity's clock does tick_

_Stealing precious seconds_

_From hands that grasp at sands_

_Forever falling through the hourglass_

_Rather than heal love's wounds_

_Time does cause them_

_Innocence lost_

_As another grain falls_

_Fleeting this moment is_

_To make us laugh and cry_

_To bring us up so high_

_Then drop us down so low_

_We are but pawns_

_In Fate's cruel game_

_And Time targets us_

_To win this wretched match._"

* * *

"They seem convinced their days are numbered," She commented, "I think something happened, what about you Arashi?"

He nodded, "Something definitely changed the year Sakura turned twenty-six. This line about 'innocence lost' makes me think their affair took the next step."

"Possibly," Miyako stared out at the storm outside the window, "I'm not sure, but I think we're getting closer to how Kakashi figures into all of this."

"Do you have any letters?"

Midnight eyes flickered over to him before going to the paper held lightly in her hands, "Just one. And a picture."

She wordlessly handed the image over to him, his blue eyes examining the people staring at each other. He doubted the two even knew the photo had been taken.

They looked like they were dancing among the spinning leaves fallen from autumn trees. It was colorless, but it was easy to imagine his raven hair, or her petal locks.

"What does the letter say?"

* * *

_Dear Hanabi, _

_My train leaves at 11:00 A.M. tomorrow morning. I hope you are able to come._

_Sincerely,_

_Sakura _

* * *

It had been two years since the incident in the hospital. Hatake (Haruno) Sakura had grown to be a beautiful woman of twenty-seven years of age. She still wrote, and she still met with Itachi.

It had actually been two months since she had last returned from _Fukai Mori_ with him.

Hatake Kakashi knew all along what was going on.

As he sat by the window in his own study, watching the rain fall down in rivers on the other side of the glass, he contemplated his life. He thought about Sakura and her love for another man. He knew that both of them wanted out. Her for her love for Itachi and him for his one-sided love for his best friend's wife, they really were an interesting pair in the grand scheme of things. All he really knew for certain was that the marriage had to end.

The problem was, he couldn't think of a legitimate reason that would convince Tsunade to annul the marriage or allow a divorce. Annulment would be preferred though.

He looked away to see Pakkun on the floor beside his chair; the sorrowful expression in the pug's eyes seemed to say that he knew what Kakashi was planning.

The Hatake heir sighed and pulled out the stationary, calling Shiori into the room. He gave her the instructions, knowing she was loyal enough that she would never breath a word of the truth to anyone, and once she was gone he began writing.

Shiori returned with a long coat with new patches in it. He thanked her and pulled on the coat, walking out into the rain. He never would return.

An hour later, Haruno Akemi walked into the room. It was deserted and she was just fine with that. Her blue eyes caught sight of a letter on Kakashi's desk with Sakura's name scrawled across it. She moved forward, but was stopped by something clamping down on her ankle. She looked down at an ugly little pug biting her ankle. Sneering, she jerked her leg out, the dog flying off of her ankle to hit the wall. She smiled slightly when he didn't move again.

She picked up the letter and opened it, eyes scanning the contents. Her smirk grew as she realized why Sakura was always so reluctant to mention her marriage. Blue eyes glanced around the room to ensure that no one saw her slip the letter into a sleeve as she left the home once more.

* * *

Kakashi's death brought rumors of an affair upon Sakura's head. They were vicious rumors, and sadly they were all true. They brought her crying to her friends. They pushed her away from Itachi. And they brought her to standing on the platform at the train station with a bag at one side and Chika at the other.

"I almost thought you weren't coming," She remarked idly, the feeling of déjà vu sweeping over her.

"I almost didn't," Hanabi replied, stepping up to take her place next to Sakura, "It took me a while to convince Sasuke that this was for the best. I've been sick lately and I was hoping you could check things out for me."

Sakura smiled and nodded, the train pulling up. They boarded and within minutes were outside of Konohagakure.

Only Hanabi seemed to notice that though the medic had made it clear that she wanted nothing to do with Itachi anymore, she still wore the swirling broach upon her collar.

* * *

A/N: I'm sorry for the shortness and the poor quality. I really had no other way to write this. I needed Kakashi dead and this was the chapter that wanted to kill him. I also needed two other things to happen. See if you can guess what it is.

My thank you list:

**Goatis, Chocolate Chan, tricia868, gare de lyon-ROAR, and stoic-green** for all of your support. You are all awesome.

Until next time,

Hikari-chan


	12. Chapter Eleven: Beautiful Night Child

_**Possession**_

_Chapter Eleven_

_Beautiful Night Child_

* * *

"So we're to Hanabi joining Sakura out at _Fukai Mori_," Arashi concluded the numerous notes they had taken over the letters. 

Miyako nodded, "Yes, but we don't know what happened to Itachi."

"I do," He spoke softly, his eyes glazed over with a distant look.

* * *

"_Every hour_

_Every day_

_Another letter sent_

_Only to join the others in oblivion_

_My better half never answers_

_Only turns away_

_A watery grave_

_The blame does wring my neck_

_With melancholy memories_

_Like dying fireflies_

_Fading with the coming winter_

_Spring is gone_

_And all but dead_

_I broke the gentle season_

_I so desperately want to return_

_Without it I cannot breathe_

_And I fade away_

_Like a dying firefly._"

* * *

"What's that?" 

Arashi sighed and leaned back against a box, "It's called _Firefly_. It's probably Itachi's best-known poem. I thought it was just some extended metaphor, but now I see what it really is."

"It was a cry to Sakura," Miyako finished, "He was writing her letters, but she never replied."

He nodded, "So he tried to get a hold of her the only way he knew she would pay attention. Their poetry, the only thing that kept them connected after she left Konoha."

Miyako made a face, "Not quite, there was something else."

"What do you mean?"

"It's about Hanabi when she went to _Fukai Mori_. She'd been sick before and Sasuke had been reluctant to let her leave because of it. The only reason she was allowed to go was because Sakura was such an accomplished medic," The Uchiha explained, pride brimming over in her voice and expression, "There were a lot of bad storms that year. Sakura and Hanabi got to the manor right at the beginning of the monsoon season. It was right before it that the letter got to Konoha. By then Sasuke was off on a trip with his father in another country, and the severity of the storms meant he couldn't get to the manor for about a year."

"Miya-chan, what are you going on about?"

She smiled, "Miyako-san. What better way to connect than through family? Miyako-san was Itachi's niece, and Sakura was her governess. If Itachi ever visited her then he was bound to have run into Sakura."

"Then let's find the proof."

* * *

_Dear Sasuke,_

_As Hanabi is currently incapacitated right now, I have taken the honor of giving you the news. _

_Your wife is not sick._

_If you do not understand my meaning, then you have lost your edge Sasuke-kun._

_Sincerely,_

_Sakura_

* * *

"You're not sick," Sakura announced happily as Hanabi woke up. 

The Uchiha bride sluggishly sat up, "Then why do I still feel horrible?"

Sakura smiled widely, "That's just a part of being pregnant."

Hanabi squealed and threw herself at the medic, laughing and crying at the same time.

"Are you sure?"

Green eyes turned into a mock glare, "Are you doubting my abilities as a doctor? Yes I'm sure. I already sent a letter to Sasuke while you were asleep, I didn't think you'd be awake by now and I wanted the letter to go out with today's mail. I hope you aren't upset."

"Upset?" Hanabi's voice was still shrill with excitement, "How could I be upset? This is wonderful news."

Sakura smiled softly, a sorrowful tinge to the expression, "Now I have something else to tell you."

"Oh?"

* * *

"Itachi, you're going to wear a hole in the rug if you keep doing that," Deidara droned. 

"What did I do wrong?" The Uchiha demanded, knowing that the blonde sculptor sitting at his desk could supply no answer.

Still, that didn't keep Deidara from trying, "You fell in love with a married woman."

A book found its way hurtling through the air towards the blonde.

"You're not helping," Itachi growled, glaring in a way that made his friend flinch, "I just want her to answer me. I want to know if Kakashi's death was my fault."

"The guy killed himself, it is no one's fault but his own," Deidara explained, mumbling a little at the end of the sentence, "He found out his wife was cheating on him and he was already emotionally unstable. There, perfect explanation."

Itachi just glared, "That doesn't fit. Kakashi wasn't like that. He didn't even leave an explanation in his own words. Something is wrong here."

Deidara made a face, "Stop trying to make it all better. Kakashi's dead and it cost you the girl. Get used to the idea Itachi. Nothing can bring the two of you back together now."

"Deidara, don't make me kill you."

The blonde shut up for a moment, "Hey, did you hear? Your brother is going to be a father."

That caught the Uchiha's attention, "Where did you hear that?"

"From your mother. She was downstairs asking Ino for help picking out flowers to send to Hanabi-san."

"Why would she have to send them?"

Deidara's visible eye was filled with disbelief, "You didn't know? Sakura moved out to Tea Country after Kakashi's death and Hanabi-san went with her. But because of the monsoons, Hanabi-san is going to have to have the baby there."

Itachi sighed, "And Sakura comes in again."

"Sorry," The sculptor squeaked.

* * *

December of the next year found Uchiha Sasuke sliding up to the door of a manor in Tea Country, the blizzard's edge already beginning to reach the harbour. His fist came up to knock, but the door was flung open before he could and a small hand came out and pulled him inside. He felt something wet on his hand and looked down to see a white Akita smiling up at him. 

"You're about one month late Uchiha."

He turned his attention to the medic before him.

"Problems with weather and travel and idiots that don't understand things."

She huffed, "Some excuse that is. Obito could do better."

"Where are they?" Sasuke asked as he ignored the comment about his cousin.

Sakura smiled and beckoned for him to follow her through the labyrinth manor. She led him to a room where she held the door open for him to enter.

Inside, Hanabi sat on a plush red chair in front of a fireplace, a raven-haired baby in her lap. She smiled brightly and turned the baby around, holding up one tiny hand to wave at him as she spoke next to the infant's ear, "Look Miyako-chan, there's Daddy."

Sasuke smiled and moved over to his family, kneeling down on the ground to get a better look at his daughter. From the doorway, Sakura smiled sadly and left the room, a slightly cantankerous Chika following close behind.

As they walked down the hall, the pink-haired girl turned to face the dog, certain that they were far enough away to not be in danger.

"Don't give me that little pup," She scolded softly, "We did what we had to."

Chika whined in defiance.

"I know you've been upset since Pakkun died, and I know you miss Itachi. But you really should just let it go. It's been almost a year. Miyako is a month old now and she's just fine. It was just a little scare after she was born. It's not that uncommon for babies to become a little ill when they're born in weather like that. It was a blizzard after all. She just got cold. Her strength has been replenished so stop worrying. She's fine now. She'll be just fine," She added in a softer voice, her emerald eyes glazing over, "She is an Uchiha after all."

Chika shook her head and padded through the halls alongside her mistress as Sakura went to finish her treasure inside a comet, hoping that one day a child would find it.

She placed the last items in, holding one back as she flipped the cover open. Her lips moved to the words written on the page.

* * *

"_Beautiful child of the night_

_My elfin maiden_

_With hair like a starless night_

_And eyes like a shrouded forest_

_I hope you grow strong_

_Like the mighty redwood_

_I pray you grow to be so full of life_

_Like the shining moon_

_Forever smiling on her realm_

_I wish you to grow to know love_

_Like a tender mother_

_Fireworks you shall love_

_And hold them dear_

_I wish you will_

_A blossom is not needed_

_But I will always be here_

_I shall always love you_

_My dear little princess_

_For every heart beats_

_Now that you breathe._"

* * *

Gingerly she closed the tome, the words _Minnano Kimochi_ glaring up at the ceiling. She placed it inside the hidden chest and closed the lid, locking it until she needed to add something new. 

She glanced over her shoulder and met warm amber as Chika sat patiently by the door.

"This is the end girl," The tears began to fall, "I worked so hard to find a reason to smile all those years ago. I found one, and it has ended."

Chika made a noise in sympathy as she felt her mistress's pain. It seemed to say everything that she could not actually vocalize.

_I'm sorry_.

* * *

A/N: Another short chapter, but I could have finished the entire story with this chapter and I didn't want to do that. So I had to cut it short. This is about the length the remaining…four (I think) chapters will be.

Disclaimer: Does anyone read this? Me no own.

**SidiousSith, Chocolate Chan, and uchiha-sisters**: thank you for reviewing to the last chapter!

Until next time,

Hikari-chan


	13. Chapter Twelve: Many Times Before

_**Possession**_

_Chapter Twelve_

_Many Times Before_

* * *

Miyako sighed and stared down at the journals spread out on the table between her and Arashi, "This is too straightforward from here." 

"What do you mean?" His blue eyes glanced up from the take-out box in his hands.

"Her affair with Itachi wouldn't have been cut off so cleanly. I know what Sakura was like and she was very emotional. Based on everything I've seen, they were really in love with each other. You can't just turn your back on someone like that," She explained, black eyes wandering over to him before returning to the journals, "There's something we're missing."

"Aside from the _Minnano Kimochi_ and the _Owari nai Yume_?"

"Aside from that," She glared at him and was strangely satisfied when she saw him suppress a flinch.

"Miya!"

The two turned to see Umeko standing at the shoji doors, just barely visible above the boxes and crates in the room.

"Yeah?"

The violet-eyed Uchiha waded through the boxes, "That stuff you requested from the Haruno House finally showed up. Do you want it in here?"

Miyako nodded and went out of the room, coming back in with two other cousins and more boxes. Arashi watched as she pulled a small wooden box out of one of them and carried it over to the table, waving goodbye to her help.

"What is that?"

Miyako smiled, "It's a puzzle box that belonged to Haruno Akemi."

"I thought we didn't like Akemi," He pointed out.

"We don't," She responded, "But she might have hidden something in here with answers to some of our questions."

"Then open it."

She examined the wood, searching for the telltale mark that would help her open it.

The box was round, with only two parts to the lid. She found, on the side, a little star burning brightly in its place, burned into the wood. She hit it with the heel of her hand and maneuvered the two parts of the lid to spiral open, revealing a small stack of papers.

During this time, Umeko had come back in. Her eyes were wide as she watched Miyako open the box, "No one has ever been able to do that."

The younger Uchiha stared at the open box (A/N: I knew someone who had a lot of these, I remember it was a pain in the neck) and shrugged, "I've always been good with puzzle boxes."

Arashi leaned over the table and pulled out the top letter, opening it to sweep his eyes over the script. He whistled lowly, "Wow. Akemi wasn't well liked was she?"

"No," Miyako answered, "What is that?"

He handed it over, "A letter from Haruno Kazuki throwing her out."

"Let me see!" Umeko jumped over a low box and sat on the floor, reading over her cousin's shoulder.

* * *

_To Akemi:_

_I have recently been informed of your behavior towards my daughter. It is unacceptable and completely disgraceful. You are to forfeit all rights gained using the Haruno name and you are to be out of the Haruno household by the end of the week. Should you refuse to comply, I will be forced to inform the Hokage and let him deal with it._

_Haruno Kazuki_

* * *

"So that's why she disappeared," Arashi saw the sadistic glint in nighttime eyes and heard the sick joy in her voice. 

"Calm down Miya-chan."

She pouted and put the letter away, pulling out the next one. She took one look at the name across the envelope and froze.

Umeko gasped, "What is she doing with that?"

Arashi, who was completely confused, opened his mouth to ask what the letter was when Miyako cut him off as she read the letter.

* * *

_Dear Sakura,_

_I find this is the only way I can help you. I was always taught that a man was supposed to make his wife happy, but you are happier with another man. Tsunade will not free you from these bonds that bind us, though I am certain that there was no need for me to tell you that. This is all I can do to aid you in your search for happiness. I hope you use this gift wisely. All that I ask is that you do not mourn. _

_You are the closest thing I have had to a child, and this is my belated gift to you._

_Yours truly,_

* * *

"She never got this," Arashi whispered, "That's why she was mourning Kakashi's loss and partly blaming Itachi. She never got this so she never had an explanation as to why he did it and what he wanted her to do afterwards." 

Miyako leaned back against Umeko, tears in her eyes, "Things would have been so different if she had seen this."

Umeko pushed her cousin off of her and stood up, "I'm going to go speak with the person in charge at the Haruno House. It is a museum, so surely someone knew about this. Maybe that will help explain why Akemi had Kakashi's suicide note that Sakura should have but never saw."

When she had left, Arashi glanced at his companion, "This explains how information of Sakura's infidelity got out to the public."

Miyako nodded and pulled a journal close to her, "On a lighter note, I found a journal entry here that doesn't make sense."

"Can you read it?"

She nodded.

* * *

_23 November_

_The rocking horse finally arrived today. I am sure that Miyako will enjoy it, if she is anything like Hanabi._

_Sasori did an exquisite job on the details. The wood has been painted to look exactly like my Suisei. Chika was slightly disturbed by this fact, but she seemed to understand that it was for the baby. _

_The tack is gold and silver, a large bow on the back of the seat and smaller bows around the bridle._

_The instructions are as follows:_

_Lift the center of the gilded ornament and turn it clockwise one rotation._

_Push it back to its former position. The key should fall loose. If not, then try again._

_Insert the key into the lock and twist a quarter of a rotation counterclockwise. The lid should pop open. When you are finished, just close the lid and push the key back to its hiding place._

_I hope that one day someone will figure this out. Hopefully it will be the right person and the secrets held within will unravel the shroud of secrecy I have set in place._

* * *

"What is she talking about?" 

Miyako shrugged, "I don't know. It starts off talking about the rocking horse and then goes to this opening a secret box of some sort. I know which rocking horse she's talking about, but I don't see how this corresponds to it."

Arashi sighed, "And we're back to square one."

* * *

_Many times before_

_Have I watched you laugh_

_Many times before _

_Have I wished for your smile_

_I tried to tell you today_

_A secret of your nighttime eyes_

_You pushed me away_

_Before the words began_

_Like the many times before_

_I have tried to tell you_

_My princess of the moon_

_Let not your hatred rule_

_For many times before_

_Have I made one simple wish_

_That I never gave you up_

* * *

Sakura sighed and set the pen down. She looked up at where a five-year-old Miyako was playing with her own little Akita puppy, Chika watching safely from the side as her daughter, the only puppy they kept, rolled around the laughing Uchiha heiress. 

"It's beautiful," Hanabi said somewhere over her shoulder.

"Yeah, it is."

Hanabi laughed, "I was talking about the poem. Are you going to put it with the others?"

Sakura nodded, "It's called _Ima made Nando mo_ (Many Times Before…I think). It belongs in _Minnano Kimochi_. And to think, years ago _Minnano Kimochi_ was something complete different than what it is now."

Her friend sat down next to her, the wind common in Petty Harbour pulling at her chocolate hair as she bounced a little baby boy on her knee, his vibrant violet eyes wide and staring at Sakura's pink hair. The medic sighed; she would never understand the obsession infants had with her hair. She remembered that his older sister had been exactly the same.

"You heard didn't you?"

Sakura shook her head, "I can't answer that until you tell me what it is that I'm supposed to know."

Lavender cream seemed a little miffed at Sakura's retort. Hanabi sighed and adjusted the baby in her arms, "Your father threw Akemi out. According to Hinata, Naruto is working on trying to throw her out of the city."

Sakura smiled nostalgically, "Naruto is doing such a wonderful job as Hokage. It's almost hard to believe that the loudmouth I was friends with all those years ago is really leading the village."

"Hinata says he really misses you," Hanabi murmured, her gaze going to her daughter and the white puppy on the lawn in front of them, "The two of you were quite close, weren't you?"

"Yes. When we were younger Naruto, Sasuke, and I were troublemakers that even you couldn't compete with," She sat back and smiled, "Oh the things we did. No one was safe from us. I remember that we often targeted the Hokage. It became a game for us," She breathed deeply, enjoying the soothing scent that always hung around the manor, "But then it ended. Itachi gave up his claim to be the head of the clan and Sasuke succeeded him. Naruto began studying politics with Jiraiya so he can become the Rokudaime. I was married off to Kakashi."

"Life sucks sometimes."

The medic laughed softly, "So it does. But you were lucky. You have a husband that loves you so much and you have two beautiful children. You ought to be proud Hanabi."

"I know, but there is one thing that still bothers me," She replied.

"Oh?"

* * *

The bell over the door of the shop rang as a dark haired man pushed it open. 

Sasori stepped out of the back room to tend to the customer, but stopped short when he saw who it was.

"Itachi?"

The Uchiha nodded and glanced around. Sasori picked up on what he was asking and moved over to lock the door, twisting the sign around to glare _Closed_ to the street outside. He then walked back behind the showroom into the workroom, Itachi following.

"What are you doing here?"

"She's here," He answered blandly, "And don't lie to me. My mother told me that Sakura has been named as Miyako's governess. That means she will travel with the family, as she's also Hanabi's doctor. Seeing as Hanabi just recently gave birth to Akira here, that means that Sakura must also be here."

Sasori picked up a doll head and sighed, "She's here, but she doesn't want to see you."

"I know, but she's going to have to."

"Don't do anything," The toy maker hissed, "Just leave her alone. She's trying to let go of you and you just walking back into her life isn't going to make the pain any easier for her to deal with."

"Then what do you propose I do?"

"Keep writing letters," He responded, "Just wait for her to come to you. If she loves you she'll come in her own time."

Itachi nodded and held out a folded piece of paper, "Can you get this to her?"

"Yes."

"Thank you."

* * *

"Ma'am," Shiori carefully approached the crying Sakura as she stood on the beach, "This came for you." 

She nodded; pink hair flying in the wind with the movement, "Thank you."

She took the envelope, eyes still on the crashing waves, as Chika approached. Sakura finally looked at the paper in her hand, gasping as she saw the familiar crimson envelope.

"Another one already?" She whispered. Her spider hands tore the envelope open, pulling out the folded paper inside as she read the words.

* * *

_My Dearest Sakura,_

_I am sorry for any pain that I have caused you. All I ask is that you meet me tonight on the shore you took me to that first trip to Petty Harbour. I will be there at midnight. I sincerely hope that you do come. It has been too long since I last saw you. Perhaps Obito is right and this is an unhealthy obsession. But as you said all those years ago, love is like being possessed._

_Hanabi mentioned that you had redone the__** Minnano Kimochi**__. What can I say? It inspired me to redo the __**Owari nai Yume**__. Below is the title poem, __**Unending Dream**__. I was experimenting with a new style of writing with this. I hope you enjoy it._

* * *

_I woke up this morning_

_And saw what I had lost_

_The face of my love_

_Jade alight with tender care_

_I realized then_

_That I was still asleep_

_And I wished that dream to be unending_

_My heart is frozen without you_

_My wings chained down_

_You hold the key in simple words_

_Be they a trio of:_

"_I love you"_

_Or a friendlier:_

"_I forgive you."_

_Either will suffice_

_At noon today_

_I saw her across a crowded room_

_She saw me not and left_

_Racing in pursuit_

_My love I did find_

_She smiled with such radiance_

_I forgot that she was but a mere mortal_

_This too is nothing but a dream_

_And I long for it to be unending_

_By light of the moon_

_In a sea of silky black_

_Did I find my only love_

_With each caress _

_Each simple touch_

_Love her more I did_

_To where my heart _

_Felt like lighted dynamite_

_Let this unending dream_

_Become our reality_

_I try to find my own key to freedom_

_But the best I can find_

_Are two simply words_

"_Marry me"_

* * *

_Yours,_

_Itachi_

* * *

Tears welled up in green eyes and Sakura collapsed, soft sobs coming up. Chika was instantly at her side, nuzzling her hair and trying to get her to look up. 

Poem tightly held in her hand, she wrapped her arms around the Akita and held her friend close, whispering to the dog she knew would understand, "Why does he try so hard? This isn't like him at all. Why is he so willing to act out of character for me? Why would he ask _this_ of me? Is a clean cut too much to ask for?"

Chika whined and let her mistress hold her and cry into her fur, knowing full well that when the moon rose tonight, she would be coming back here to meet the author. The Akita sighed; knowing the days to come could be light or dark. Everything depended on the meeting.

* * *

A/N: Sorry! I had to end it there. The meeting will be in the next chapter, _Little Prayer_, along with a surprise for Arashi in the current time. Wow, it's so hard to believe that Possession is almost done. After _Little Prayer_, all that will be left is _Indelible Sin_ and then the epilogue (I hope that's what it is), which is tentatively titled _Days of Phoenix Rising_.

I know Itachi is OOC, but I stand by my defense of, "Itachi is not a ninja as there are no ninja so there is no Uchiha clan and other people standing over him saying 'BE EMOTIONLESS'. Therefore it is highly plausible that he could fall in love and really want to see her." He will never say "I love you" though. He will hint at it, but he will never say it. That's not something he would say. Right now he's just really irritated that Sakura's being so stubborn.

My thank you note:

**Panda-Ink, SpeedDemon315, me-ninjakitty, gare de lyon-ROAR, uchiha-sisters, Selah M. Snow, Rachel9493, SidiousSith, renyun, stoic-green, tricia868, Goatis, and Chocolate Chan.**

I do believe that is the longest list of reviewers yet.

Until next time,

Hikari-chan

I have written enough poetry for this story to fill half a notebook. I never thought it would take that much.


	14. Chapter Thirteen: Little Prayer

_**Possession**_

_Chapter Thirteen_

_Little Prayer_

* * *

"Arashi, come with me."

Those words had caused the Uzumaki to follow Miyako to Itachi's flat once more.

"Why are we here?" He asked as she finished unlocking the door.

"Well," She smiled broadly, leading him into the cluttered studio, "You've been a little down lately. I thought this might cheer you up."

"Really?" He wasn't really listening to her as he examined the large cloth-covered object standing in the center of the room.

He saw her nod, "I know it's about the tombstone. So when Umeko called me yesterday about a find Hana-chan had made, I had them bring it here since they needed to do some restoration work. Tomorrow it will be moved again to replace the one I broke on Itachi's grave."

"What are you going on about Miya?" He turned to face her, only to find her gone.

"We screwed up, the Uchiha clan I mean," She was beside the object, a corner of white cloth in her hand, "The angel on Itachi's grave was a mold or something like that."

Arashi stared at her blankly, "What?"

She smiled and pulled the cloth off.

The sunlight glinted off the metal and the blonde's breath vanished from his lungs.

Miyako whispered in his ear, "This is the only bronze statue Deidara ever made."

It was the praying angel, forever immortalized mid-prayer in metal.

"Thank you."

"I know."

He turned to face the smiling Uchiha, "How?"

She shrugged, "Hanako was going through the catacombs beneath the old district of the prefecture with Umeko. They came across it in some dark corner behind a wall."

"So now that you know what an important object to me in the case is, are you going to tell me what yours is?"

She ran a hand through her black hair, sighing, "The rocking horse that Sakura mentioned in that journal entry is what's important to me. It's been passed down in my family since Miyako-san's time. It's been well taken care of, but the paint is almost all gone. I still remember all the years I had that thing sitting in my bedroom before my aunt and uncle finally moved it into the attic. I resented them so much for it. That rocking horse was just about all I had left of my parents after they died. Seeing it mentioned in that entry made me remember it," She stared at the spaces of window that weren't covered by newspaper, "And then I found that poem."

"What poem?" He asked, unaware that she had found anything else among the endless sea of papers.

* * *

"_Day to night_

_I watch her sleep_

_Never will she awaken_

_Never will she see me_

_Not for me_

_A violet iris _

_She does lack_

_Her garden will not grow them_

_Only roses of midnight black_

_Does she keep_

_Save but one_

_A single rose of crimson red_

_The only clue she has_

_Locked in a comet's core_

_See me not_

_For I am the dark widow_

_Once bright with love misplaced_

_Now tainted_

_This indelible sin I watch_

_I watch her grow_

_And cultivate her midnight heart_

_I watch her turn me away_

_With hate in her eyes_

_I watch her turn away_

_From the sunlight child_

_She loves him dearly_

_Long for him often_

_Yet with blood so close_

_Together they will never be_

_So when he is married_

_Lying next to his bride_

_My child of sin sits reading_

_The secrets of the rocking comet's core_

_When she is done_

_She writes her own words_

_And adds them to the midst_

_Of written sins_

_She locks the comet_

_Hoping _

_Praying_

_That nevermore shall it open_

_Blood bonds made up_

_She carries on_

_Her ire only stronger_

_That burning hatred she holds for me_

_I gave her life through sin_

_Through terrible deceit_

_This curse of her hatred_

_Is merely my punishment_

_Her image is of my love_

_My lost love_

_These swirls of crimson ebony_

_Remind me of those days_

_When I smiled so freely_

_On the fields of lavender_

_A tiny harbour at my feet_

_My love did bloom_

_Only to wither_

_A life was lost_

_A love the cost_

_Always do I wonder_

_What if_

_What if no life was lost_

_No love the cost_

_No child of darkness_

_But no_

_I cannot see this life_

_Be any other way_

_I cannot fathom_

_Life without my moonchild_

_Though she hates me_

_With such fiery passion_

_She is still the only one_

_She is all that there is_

_For me to hold onto_

_For me to live for._"

* * *

Miyako paused to gauge Arashi's reaction to the poem. After what seemed like eternity, he finally asked one question.

"Did the rocking horse have a name?"

She was stunned by the question, but nodded all the same, "Suisei. It was painted to look like Sakura's horse by the same name."

"Suisei," He stared at her blankly, "_Comet_."

Her eyes went wide with realization, "The instructions were to open the rocking horse."

* * *

_When I came to you_

_I only thought of getting out_

_What I should have held close_

_I just pushed away_

_I did not want to make friends_

_I thought you were a curse_

_When in reality_

_You were the best thing to ever happen to me_

* * *

The tears welled up in Sakura's eyes as she arrived at the beach, the moon hanging full above her head. Chika's fur seemed to glow as Sakura took in all of her surroundings. She was alone for the moment. Five minutes later, a footstep crunched the rocks on the beach.

"I was worried you would not come."

She closed her eyes and felt her throat tighten, the sound of his voice so reassuring after so many years.

"I almost didn't," She whispered, knowing full well that he could hear every word perfectly.

Itachi stepped up to Sakura as she turned to face him, his hands going to either side of her throat as he tilted her chin up. Onyx met emerald and he saw for the first time just how broken she was. Her small hands came up and fisted with an iron grip on the fabric of his shirt.

Tears welled up as she begged, "Don't do this to me. Don't you dare make me fall for you again."

"I'm sorry," He replied as he leaned his forehead against hers, 'Just tell me the answer."

Itachi had always been amazed by how quickly her emotions could change. He knew first hand that one moment she could be happy, the next depressed, and the next she could be angry.

He watched as fury took over as she snarled in unison with Chika, "No. I will not marry you."

"Why not?"

"Why not?" She echoed in disbelief, trying to twist away from him. He shifted his arms to trap her against him, keeping her from fighting back.

"Just tell me why Sakura."

From the corner of his eye, he could see Chika's ears flatten against her head, her lips curling back to bear her sharp teeth.

The medic in his arms stopped crying for a second, her voice low and hollow, "You know why Kakashi killed himself, don't you? It was like history repeating itself for him. He was in love with Rin, but she chose Obito over him. He never got over it. Seeing me chose an Uchiha over him, even though we never had a relationship beyond anything platonic, it still brought back the memories. It was my fault for bringing back the pain. And I wouldn't have done that if it hadn't been for you. If you hadn't walked into my life, Kakashi might have lived. He was starting to fall for Shiori. She was already enamored with him. I could have found a way to annul the marriage if it hadn't been for you. Maybe Shiori would be a Hatake today if I had never met you."

"Sakura."

She took in a sharp breath that the tone of his voice, "Don't. I don't want to be in love. Not with you. Not anymore. I can't do this."

"You said that once before," His lips brushed the shell of her ear, "And look what happened."

She began struggling against his hold again, Chika's snarls growing in volume, "Let me go Itachi. This would never work."

His grip on her tightened, "I heard something from Rin. She was telling my mother, but I heard all the same. Apparently Hanabi told her that when you came out here after Kakashi's death, you were expecting a child, same as Hanabi."

Sakura froze, her eyes wide and her skin losing all color, "Itachi," His name sounded like a warning.

"What happened to the child Sakura?"

Her warm breath spread over the side of his neck as she whispered, "You have made a killer of me."

Itachi stiffened for a second before he pushed her away, spinning on his heel and walking away, Chika's angry barks and growls following him until he was out of earshot.

"_You have made a killer of me_."

The words echoed around Sakura until she realized what had happened when she had said that. It had never crossed her mind that he would think she had been talking about that.

She looked up at the moon before staring at its reflection on the crashing waves. Her pink lips parted as she began to compose another poem for that little book hidden away inside Suisei's wooden doppelganger.

* * *

"_Little darling_

_All I have to offer you_

_Is this little prayer_

_That you choose a different path_

_Than this one I am cursed with_

_That you find love_

_Where I let it die_

_That you grow strong_

_Where I am weak_

_That you find the truth_

_Where I hid it away_

_That is my tiny prayer_

_To the starts above_

_And I pray I'm heard._"

* * *

A/N: Sakura is not insane! That line about being a killer was taken directly from the movie _Possession_. Remember that this is loosely based off of that.

My thank you list: **tricia868, SidiousSith, stoic-green, renyun, me-ninjakitty, Selah M. Snow, Panda-Ink, SpeedDemon315, Goatis, and gare de lyon-ROAR**

I am sorry that this came out later than previous chapters, but I'm trying to prolong the story because there is only one more chapter before the prologue. The next chapter will probably take me a few days to write because if it turns out the way I want it to, it's going to be fairly long. Any of you who are Harry Potter fans; I have a new story called _Cherish_ that is my answer to the Books-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named. If you are a Harmony fan, you know what I'm talking about.

Until later,

Hikari-chan


	15. Chapter Fourteen: Indelible Sin

_**Possession**_

_Chapter Fourteen_

_Indelible Sin_

* * *

Arashi raced through the ghost part of the Uchiha prefecture, chasing after Miyako. Said Uchiha was running far ahead of him until she slid to the right and disappeared into a house. He sighed and caught up to the house in question, slightly annoyed when he realized that it was the first house they had searched.

"Come on Shi-kun!" Her voice rang throughout the home and he took off towards the sound.

He found her standing at the doorway of what looked like a nursery. There was a bassinet and all the normal things for a little girl's room.

Including the rocking horse.

"Do you remember the instructions?" He asked, seeing her inspecting the wooden horse.

She nodded, "Yes, but I have to find the right place. Remember? '_Lift the center of the gilded ornament_'. We have to find that first," She stopped suddenly and grinned widely, "Gold leaf."

Her spidery fingers clasped around the center of the largest bow on the back of the saddle, pulling it up until it stood several inches above the rest of the bow.

"Twist it one revolution," He recited, "Clockwise."

She did and pushed it back to where it had been. There was a click, and the stirrup closest to her fell loose, almost invisible strings holding it onto the saddle.

Kneeling down, she saw that there was a lock in the wood that would have been covered by the stirrup in normal times. She placed the key in the lock and twisted it to the left one fourth of the way counterclockwise, as Sakura had written.

There was a series of clicks, and the seat of the saddle popped up, sitting quietly on top until someone removed it.

Miyako moved to, but Arashi caught her hands.

"Shi-kun?"

He pulled her in for a kiss before explaining, "You know I have my theories about what's in here Miya-chan. Just know that I will love you regardless of what's inside this."

She sighed, "I know. I love you too."

Her hands slipped out of his and she opened the box.

Both sets of eyes went wide as Miyako pulled out a letter with Sakura's name scrawled across the envelope.

"Miya-chan?"

She swallowed the lump in her throat, "This is Miyako-san's handwriting."

And then they saw the rest of the contents.

"Oh my."

* * *

_Dear Sakura,_

_I thought that it was important for you to know something that happened when I was much younger. At __**Fukai Mori**__ in the year that I turned six, I met a man on the cliffs above the harbour. I did not find out until much later that the man had been my father's brother, Itachi. We talked, and he handed me a letter to pass along to you. I am sorry that it has taken so long for me to deliver this._

* * *

A little girl with black hair held back with a crimson ribbon ran laughing and smiling toward the harbour. She stopped suddenly when she saw the man in the long black coat standing at the top of the cliff.

"Hey Mister!" She called. He turned and she gasped, realizing that he bore a stunning resemblance to her father.

He showed no emotion, but she was certain that a part of him was smiling.

"Hello there, and what is your name?"

She smiled tentatively, "Miyako. Are you an Uchiha?"

The man nodded, "Yes I am. And that's a pretty name you have."

She wrinkled her nose, "Mother says my governess gave it to me."

She watched as he pulled off his coat, setting it on the ground like a blanket. He motioned for her to sit next to him and she hesitated before complying.

"Your governess?" His voice was deep and soft, similar to her father's but different in a way that made her want to listen forever, "Does your governess have a name?"

Miyako nodded, "It's Haruno Sakura."

"You don't like her."

It wasn't a question.

"No," She replied, "She acts too much like she's my mother when she's not. And my mother just keeps pushing me towards Sakura. I don't know why and I want it too stop."

She noticed the odd gleam in his black eyes, similar to her own, "This Sakura, would you be willing to give her something for me?"

"Sure."

He smiled. At least, that's what she thought it was. Her father always made a similar expression when he was happy. She watched as the man across from her pulled out a notebook and pen from a pocket of the coat. Within seconds his hand was flying across the letter.

"Uchiha-san?"

He glanced up from the paper, his pen in mid-stroke, "Yes?"

"How do you know Sakura?" The girl's dark eyes were wide with curiosity.

"I met her long ago," He replied after a while, "She's a friend."

Miyako nodded as if that explained everything. She was content to watching the pen in his hand sweep along the page with elegant strokes. Her only real option of watching someone write was Sakura, and she didn't much care for the pink-haired woman.

"Done."

His voice jolted Miyako out of her reverie, "Oh."

That half smile flitted across his face as he handed the papers to Miyako, "Thank you for agreeing to take these to her."

* * *

_I never realized that it was Itachi, my father's brother. And for that I am sorry. Had I realized that it was he then I would not have used such harsh words when Deidara arrived at the manor to inform you of what had happened back in Konoha._

* * *

"Sakura."

Miyako looked up from where she sat on the floor with her brother to see her mother walk into the room. Her governess sat at a desk in the corner and glanced up briefly from her writing to acknowledge the younger woman.

Hanabi walked over and said in a hushed tone, "Deidara's here to see you."

Sakura nodded and vanished from sight. Miyako simply shrugged and went back to playing with the little infant on the floor with her.  
Second later there was a murmur of voices from the hall, followed by a soft sob and feet running away.

Her mother stood and opened the library door to a blonde man dressed in black. Miyako recognized the expression he wore.

It had been the same one her uncle, Hyuga Neji, had been wearing when he had come to the manor with the news that her best friend and cousin, Uzumaki Hanako, had died in the fever epidemic that was sweeping through Konoha.

She wondered briefly who had died before resuming her playtime with little Akira as she half-listened to the conversation her mother was having with the blonde man called Deidara.

She heard Hanabi gasp and turned to see her mother's tiny hand cover her mouth in surprise.

The Hyuga nodded and Deidara left with a promise from Hanabi that she would pass whatever unfortunate news there was onto Sasuke.

"Mother?"

Hanabi's violet skirt brushed the floor as we knelt down by her two children.

"There's been another death in Konoha," She explained softly, only Miyako understanding what it meant, "It's your father's elder brother. I need you to be good Miyako; your father's not going to be happy about this. Try to keep your brother and yourself out of trouble."

The little girl nodded, "But what has Sakura got to do with this. She's not a member of the family, and she doesn't know anything, so why is she upset about this? She has no right to be upset when we're the ones that lost someone."

From the other entrance of the library, Sakura leaned up against the wall, staying out of sight as the burning tears came back at the girl's words.

Hanabi, on the other hand, simply gave the girl a light hit on the side of the head, "Never say that. You know nothing about her and you have no right to say anything like that. I swear you're too much like your father sometimes."

* * *

_The letter that Itachi had given me, I never did pass it on. In fact, I hid it underneath the padding of the ancient bassinet down the hall from your chambers. As my form of apology, I give you the letter now. It has taken me so long, and it took the uncovering of the rocking horse's secrets and the birth of my own daughter to bring me to the point that I wish for nothing more than your forgiveness. I hope that someday you find this letter, even if you never see me again._

_Sincerely,_

_Uchiha Miyako._

* * *

She had been twelve the first time she saw Sakura open the horse. The only reason she had tried was because of the day she watched the love of her life smiling at another woman, his wife, as she held the little baby with the sunlight hair and ocean eyes, seven years after witnessing Sakura's secret of the little rocking horse.

Miyako was nineteen at the time and was bleary eyed as she stumbled through the manor, her mother's words ringing in her ears.

_You shouldn't blame anyone but yourself for this. If you had just listened to Sakura, you would be that bride._

In her mind, she ran through the motions she had seen her old governess do as she slid to the floor by the horse, the force bruising her knees painfully.

It took a matter of seconds for the seat of the saddle to pop up.

What she found inside brought her world crashing down.

Sitting on top was a letter with the name of her uncle scrawled across it in beautiful script.

With shaking hands, she ripped the envelope open, pulling the letter out with desperation engraved in her movements.

She had to know.

* * *

_To my dearest,_

_It has been so long since I have written a word to you directly, yet I cannot help but notice that you still invade everything I write. Perhaps it is because I still love you, even after all these years._

_Perhaps it is because I regret, with every breath I take and every second that I live, that I rejected your proposal of marriage. I understand that it is too late and the wounds that I have left are probably too deep, but I have never wanted anything more than to call myself your wife._

_However, my regrets at ruining my only chance at true happiness have nothing to do with my reason for writing this letter. I know that by now you have met Sasuke's eldest child, young Miyako. I sincerely hope that you do not believe that she is who you have been told she is. She is my greatest regret, more so than turning you away when every fiber of my being calls out for you._

_She is not Sasuke's daughter; she is yours. When you asked me what had happened to our child and I so callously replied that you had made me a killer, I had been referring to Kakashi. Hanabi suffered a miscarriage after coming down with an illness in the early stages of her pregnancy. I did not want anyone to know of my sins and as such I made the rash decision to give our daughter to Hanabi in her lost child's place. Sasuke would not be able to reach us in time to know the ruse, and she looks so much like an Uchiha that none will ever know the truth unless they see her eyes. They are dark, but they are green. They are the mark that she must always bear in plain sight. _

_If I had just told you the truth, do you believe that things would have turned out differently? I sometimes wonder, late at night when I lay awake in a frail attempt to keep from seeing you in my dreams. Dreams that I so wish were reality rather than mere figments of my imagination. _

_Enclosed is a photograph of Miyako, our beautiful night child. I hope that one day you meet her and that you understand why it is that Hanabi and I say she is so much like her father when she is nothing like Sasuke._

_With all my heart,_

_Sakura_

* * *

There were more tears in her eyes as she set aside the letter and familiar photograph.

Her mother, no, Hanabi's words made perfect sense to her now.

She could have been that bride if only she had listened to Sakura.

Within seconds she had closed up the horse again and was out the door with it. On the train ride home, she tentatively opened the hidden trunk and took out the two tomes she had seen directly below the letter.

_Minnano Kimochi _and _Owari nai Yume_ glared up at her. She reached for the one written in Sakura's beautiful scrawl, remembering the days before the pink-haired woman's tragic death when she would sit and write words that Miyako didn't understand.

As she opened the book, she fought to keep her hands from shaking.

The poetry was happy, and that surprised her until she reached the end of the book and saw the sadness tainting the words.

Her cruelty at Itachi's death had been unwarranted, and Hanabi had been right. She knew nothing of Sakura.

* * *

_My heart cries_

_As my love dies_

_A scarlet letter_

_Hanging round my neck_

_Does fade with time_

_Leaving crimson regrets_

_My indelible sin_

_Is not that scarlet letter_

_But rather the blood it led to_

_My greatest regret_

_Is not gaining that letter_

_It is letting that letter so much freedom_

_That it took my blood away_

_My precious blood_

_More sacred than the night for which thou was named_

_A blood forever staining my soul_

_A sin that can never be told_

_Never erased_

_A bond that should have been _

_Became another casualty_

_In a war that had no reason_

_A child that was so precious_

_And now so lost_

_My love_

_My child_

_Myself_

_All lost to the crimson oblivion_

_That is my indelible sin_

* * *

The rain beat down on her as she knocked on the door, desperate to talk to the man inside.

When he opened the door, blue eyes bleary with sleep, she gave a half-hearted smile.

"Shi-kun."

Arashi was fully awake and he pulled his old friend in out of the rain, "What are you doing here at such an ungodly hour Miya-chan?"

She passed Sakura's letter to him, "Do you remember what I said when I loved you, that I wished to be your bride?"

"Of course I do, but that's incest Miyako," He explained as he read the letter. She watched as his expression went from humorous to shocked, "Oh my."

"It would never have been incest," The tears were mixing with the streaks of rain on her flushed cheeks, "And I was a fool. You were right when you said I should have listened to whatever it was that Sakura tried so hard to tell me."

"Miyako," He whispered, "Please don't do this to me. I have a wife and I have a beautiful son. I can't do this to them."

"Can't, or won't?"

He handed the letter back, "Does it matter? What's happened has happened, and you have your own nuptials coming up. It would never have worked between us."

The tears were fresh as she snatched the letter out of his hand and bolted out the door, returning to the Uchiha prefecture in record time. She stopped at Sakura's home on the outskirts, tempted to run up there and just _do something_.

But she didn't, and instead she ran back to her own home, barricading herself in the attic. In a flurry of movements, she pulled the second tome out of the horse and began flipping through the poems, the handwriting familiar.

It took a couple of seconds, as she stared at the last poem, for her to realize why the handwriting was so familiar.

It was Itachi's, the same elegant script on the tag of the cello he had passed on to her.

* * *

_If a blossom falls_

_Does that mean death_

_If a love is lost_

_Does that mean the end of all_

_Is persistence a sin_

_The way my love is_

_I understand your tears_

_I only hope they are not my fault_

_Farthest from my mind_

_Is the desire for your pain_

_My only regret is simple_

_That I did not try _

_And try again_

_When you refused me as your groom_

_Living a spinster's life instead_

_Always watching_

_The little girl with forest eyes_

_Always waiting_

_For her to find _

_The ink and paper_

_That details our crimes_

* * *

Her wedding had come and gone. Sakura, the woman she wanted to see the most, had not been in attendance.

Which brought Miyako to standing outside her house, staring up at the front door. She had done that so much since finding the confession. A part of the Uchiha wanted to confront Sakura. The other side wished desperately that Itachi was still alive and that she could confront him about it instead.

As for friends the Uzumaki clan was out of the question. Arashi already knew and he had done nothing but go on with his life as if nothing had changed. His twin sister Hanako had been dead for almost a century.

This left Akimichi Chou, and as Ino's daughter, that would have ended very badly if she had found out that the treasured daughter of the Uchiha clan head was really the illegitimate child of his black sheep of a brother. The Nara girl was out of the question for the same reasons. Tsunade was Sakura's old mentor, and probably already knew. Shizune was Tsunade's shadow and Miyako suspected she had known as well.

So it was Sakura or no one.

She chose no one.

* * *

_Dearest Miyako,_

_I understand if you never find this. Or if you choose to ignore it as it is written in my hand._

_You have, with no doubt, found the letter that your father will never receive. If it is any comfort, and I know that this will not be so, he does not know about you. He knew there was a child, but due to a misunderstanding he believes you to be dead._

_I understand that I am nothing more than a hated governess. I am not blind you the complete contempt shining in your eyes. Green eyes, I would like to point out, that so clearly show your heritage as a member of the Haruno line. Still, that does not change the fact that you are first and foremost an Uchiha. Regardless of the fact that Sasuke is simply an uncle. _

_A part of me wishes that you never find this letter. It breaks my heart to think of the pain you would endure, should you ever have a daughter. I can tell you that living with the knowledge that you hate me so is unbearable. More so than the pain of losing my beloved. _

_I pray that one day you see me as something other than your nemesis, for I am anything but. _

_With all my heart,_

_Sakura_

* * *

The tears gathered up in Miyako's eyes as she sat in the dying light of the lamp, reading the letter. Her gaze flickered up to the bassinet at the opposite side of the room.

Her own daughter was only three months old.

Miyako had been afraid of the hatred the moment she was born.

The young mother sighed and pulled out the stationary, her pen dipping into the ink well with grace. The words in her mind flowed out onto the paper with such ease that she was amazed. After so long, she was going to do her best to atone for all her transgressions.

The letter was finished sooner than she expected. With tears in her eyes she locked it away inside the little rocking horse. Enclosed was the letter that could have spared her the pain had she given it to its owner sooner.

Her daughter slept through it all, raven hair plastered to the top of her head. Miyako wondered what life would be like if that little girl looked different. She wondered what life would be like if her husband, sleeping down the hall, had hair like sunshine and eyes like the endless sky instead of the trademark Uchiha black and black.

She hated black.

But she though red and pink went well together.

* * *

_My Sakura,_

_I met the most unusual girl today. Her name, Miyako, tells me that she is my fool of a brother's eldest child. As her governess, I was hoping you could explain something to me._

_If she is Sasuke and Hanabi's daughter, why are her eyes green instead of violet like her brother's?_

_I suppose I am the fool for assuming that you would answer me. Had you been willing to answer me without riddles wrapped around that silver tongue of yours then perhaps you would be mine still. It took a rather rude awakening, courtesy of Sasori, for me to realize what you had been saying to me that night. I am so sorry that you felt that way concerning Kakashi's untimely demise. I am also sorry that I never saw, until it was too late, that you were so upset about the situation. I suppose you were right all along, we really were destined for heartbreak. _

_As for little Miyako, she's beautiful. However, that is to be expected. After all she is your daughter. Hanabi's words at the festival last year suddenly make so much sense. She had said that little Miyako was more like me than she was Sasuke. I see now why she never used the word 'father' in that statement. It also explains why you were so tense once she said those words. You were afraid she had accomplished her goal in telling me the truth about the little girl with nighttime hair and eyes as green as a forest._

_I am not asking you to tell me the entire story behind her assimilation into Sasuke's young family. I know you and I understand that that is a subject that is not to be pushed. I can only hope that one day all is set right._

_'In the darkness I once did live. In the darkness I found light. The first I saw her, my world erupted into brightness. So bright it was that not even the sun could compare.'_

_Itachi_

* * *

A/N: Wow. I can't believe that all that's left is the epilogue. If you have any questions, just ask. Just so you know, I stopped answer all reviews because I was afraid of giving something away. Not that there is much spoiler here, but just in case some of you hadn't figured out exactly what was going on.

And CONGRATS to **stoic-green** for actually guessing, quite accurately, what had happened.

My thank you list: **SidiousSith, Goatis, gare de lyon-ROAR, stoic-green, me-ninjakitty, SpeedDemon315, renyun, Selah M. Snow. Hiei's Cute Girl, dark alley, talapadme, inn0centdr3ameR, tricia868, ahhmeii, The Reviewer known as Name, JUCHKO **(who has some awesome stories that I strongly suggest), **uchiha-sisters.**

A special thanks goes to all of you who have reviewed from the beginning. And even more thanks for everyone's support after my computer decided to go haywire and crash on me.

Until next time,

Hikari Adams


	16. Epilogue: Days of Phoenix Rising

_**Possession**_

_Epilogue_

_Days of Phoenix Rising_

* * *

"A year ago today, the greatest secret of the literary world began to unfold."

The crowd that filled the auditorium listened with rapt attention as the blonde man stood at the front, giving the presentation that would change the history of Konoha. He was tall with hair so yellow it rivaled the sun and eyes a blank blue like the sky on a cloudless day. Beside him was a young woman with raven hair and midnight eyes, her spindle-like fingers toying with a loose string on the hem of her shirt. They had been there for over an hour, building up to this moment.

"We thought it was impossible, that two writers of such different worlds could ever meet," he continued, "But as we followed the clues that were meant for someone else, we began to realize that sometimes the affairs of the heart do not coincide with the rules of reality. As our search went on, we came to one undeniable truth. Uchiha Itachi and Haruno Sakura had had an affair. Miyako," he gestured towards the young woman beside him, "And I thought that was all there was to the story. Exchanged letters and poems, perhaps a meeting here and there. We though it was nothing more than a passing fancy. Once again, we were proved wrong."

He stepped aside, the dark-haired scholar addressed as Miyako took his place, "I have spent my entire life studying Sakura, and Arashi," she nodded in the blonde's direction, "Itachi. Never did I imagine, when I stood in this very spot a year ago, giving a lecture about my idol, that I would be here again to take back so much. When Arashi approached me a year ago, I thought he was insane. But there were so many unanswered questions about Sakura, so many things that didn't add up. He offered me a chance to find the truth, and I took it.

"Sakura, as it turns out, was nothing like what she has been portrayed to be. She was loyal and loving, but she was rebellious and desperate for a real relationship. She was human. Nothing more, nothing less," Miyako's eyes flickered to meet her cousin's. A silent and brief exchange was given across the room and the younger Uchiha continued, "If anything, this search has proven what so many of us already knew. Love is unpredictable. Sakura was forced into a marriage she didn't want with a man she loved as nothing more than a surrogate father or an uncle. Itachi was the answer to all her prayers. She loved him, so much that it hurt her to love him. She was afraid of the repercussions of their affair on the off chance that someone found out. She was the one in the most danger, yet she worried more for him.

"I understand that many of the people sitting in this room, the ones with the more traditional outlook on life, will condemn her for her adultery. Just let me say that Sakura was just like you. She was searching for a happiness that constantly evaded her. She may have broken the rules, but she had more than enough reason to," tears filled dark eyes, eyes that flashed a deep green in the light, as she struggled for her next words. Arashi placed his hand discreetly on the small of her back to let her know that he was there. She smiled softly and stared out at the audience, "And I have one more thing to say. If Sakura hadn't broken the rules, I wouldn't be standing before you."

Only a few members of the audience realized what she was saying and they broke out in whispers. Arashi pulled his companion aside and took over once again.

"I realize that some of you might further condemn these two authors for their transgressions. Transgressions, I'd like to add, that they were more than aware of. They knew exactly what they were doing, but they didn't care. From what I've learned from Miyako about Sakura, the renowned medic had a similar life to Itachi. I know from my own studies that Itachi had a hard childhood. He was raised to be a leader that he didn't want to be. He was forced to forgo childhood altogether. In essence, he was forced to give up his humanity. I hate to think about what might have happened had he not met the Akatsuki and become a writer. Even more, I hate to think about what he would have been if he hadn't had Sakura to keep him grounded," he threw a glance to the back of the audience, locking eyes with a matching pair of slate blue. Hanako smiled and he continued, "We know that they met at restaurant when Sakura was twenty-four. Itachi was twenty-nine and the two immediately became friends."

Miyako pulled him aside and stepped up to the microphone, "In the beginning, it wasn't love. In fact, we have more than enough evidence to show that both of them were against an affair beyond an acquaintance. Itachi only became aware of the reality of the situation when Deidara, who was involved with a Hyuga woman in an affair, gave him a rather rude awakening. Sakura didn't really realize it until he gave her the broach," her hand unconsciously went to the spot at the hollow of her neck where the swirling ebony and crimson was fastened to her sweater, "It was a love that was so beyond words. We have published the information, and it can all be found at the public section of the Uchiha library. We ask that you not judge these two for what they did. They were merely human."

"We would like to tell you the story of two lives that ended in tragedy."

* * *

The presentation continued and by the end of it, both Miyako and Arashi were exhausted by the myriad questions they had been asked. Arashi kept his arm around her waist as they walked down the same stairs he had confronted her on a year ago.

"Uchiha! Uzumaki!"

They stopped and turned around. The blonde glared as soon as he saw the speaker, "Hayato."

The Uchiha nodded to the white-eyed menace before greeting the bored man standing behind him, "Ken'ichi."

"Hey Miyako."

The Hyuga snarled, "Just how the hell did the two of you find this stuff?"

"Perks to being Uchiha," She replied coolly. Behind Hayato, the Nara covered a snort with a cough.

Hayato spun on his heel and dragged the code breaker away. When they were out of earshot, Miyako turned to Arashi.

"Do you know what that was about?"

He smirked and began leading her away, "According to Hanako, Hayato was convinced that Itachi was responsible for Kakashi's death and that Sakura had willingly helped him. Then again, the Hyuga never really did like Sakura. They thought she was too close to the Uchiha. Hinata and Hanabi were the exceptions."

"That's all?"

"I think he might be a little miffed that not only did we get the glory, but I also got the girl."

Miyako rolled her eyes, "You are so juvenile sometimes."

As they turned down the street towards the Uchiha prefecture, Arashi slowed down his walk.

"Miya-chan?"

"Yes?" She stopped and turned to look at him. For the first time since he had met her, he noticed that her eyes weren't the typical black or blue of the Uchiha clan.

They were green.

Hanako's words came back to him. Her explanation from that morning, the one of how the history of Konoha was messed up from Sakura's secrecy, it had been bothering him all morning, and now he knew why.

It was because, for once in his life, he thought his twin sister was wrong. Everything had turned out just right.

He smiled and held Miyako a little closer.

"Shi-kun? Do you remember what you said about Sasori having family in Petty Harbour?"

"Of course I do," He replied, curiosity weaving through his voice, "What about it?"

"I did some research on them," She explained.

"And?"

"I think you'll be interested in seeing a painting that came up. The artist who painted it was a distant cousin of Sasori's from Konoha, his name was Sai and he was apparently well known for being a little on the odd side," She began walking again, her small hand wrapped around his tanned wrist as she lead him through the prefecture, "He was about Sakura's age, and he made this painting on the afternoon that she died."

Something clicked in Arashi's mind, "She was killed in a boat accident, wasn't she?"

Miyako nodded, "There was a storm that swept in right after the boat to the mainland took off. The boat sank just off the coast, in front of that cliff where Itachi met Miyako-san and in front of the beach where he proposed. Sai claimed he saw a couple on the cliff, just standing there in what was probably one of the worst summer storms to hit the town. The most ironic thing about it was that it was the anniversary of Itachi's death, the 16th of September."

"That's today."

"Yeah, I know," She replied, "That's why I was so happy that the presentation was today. I thought it was appropriate. Ah, we're here."

She stopped inside a room, one that he recognized as the entrance hall of Miya-chan's little home near the heart of the new prefecture. Hanging on the wall before him, was a painting covered in white cloth. The young woman that had helped him solve the greatest mystery in Konoha smiled and pulled it off.

His breath stopped.

The painting was beautiful, and very well done. The wind and the rain were the perfect swirls of blues and greys, the sea a slate color with patches of white lace here and there. But like the Uchiha beside him, his attention was taken by the couple standing on the rocks in the center of the painting.

His hair was long, and the ebony locks twisted in the wind, his pale skin bold against the dark sky behind him. His clothes were black as well, with patches of crimson peaking through from underneath his coat. His darks eyes followed his hands to the woman in his arms, her own pale skin flushed, as she seemed to be smiling. Arashi couldn't see, but he knew here eyes were vivid jade. Her dress was burgundy and the skirt fluttered with the weather, her cherry blossom hair dancing in the gale's breath.

Itachi and Sakura, captured forever in a painting created after they had died. Arashi wondered briefly just who this Sai character was. Could he see ghosts?

Either way, the whole scene was just a little too much, and the Uzumaki did the only thing he could.

He laughed.

"Shi-kun!" Miyako's voice was disbelieving as she scolded him, but eventually she resigned and settled for watching him until he calmed down.

She had been so full of trepidation when she had agreed to work with him, but now she had a feeling that everything would be all right.

When he stopped laughing and slid a garnet ring onto her finger, that feeling turned into a fact.

* * *

Somewhere far away, on a cliff that had seen to much, a couple stood. Both were too entranced with the other to notice anything around them, and both were smiling softly. A crimson ribbon was laced through their fingers, something like what a little girl with raven hair would wear threaded through nighttime locks.

Down in the town, a little girl was staring at them.

"Mommy! Who are those people over there? Their clothes are all funny!"

The mother followed her daughter's eyes to the cliff that overlooked the little beach and her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Darling, what are talking about? There's no one up there."

The little girl just pulled on her mother's arm, "Yes there is! There's two people standing up there!"

The mother simply pulled her daughter into a toyshop at the edge of the town square, shaking her head at her daughter's antics.

* * *

Up on the cliff, the two lovers had been joined by a third. The newcomer, a young woman with raven hair, seemed apologetic in the way she held her head down. The older woman with her roseate hair stepped away from the man to take the newcomer into her arms. The man placed his hand on the younger woman's shoulder, his other arm going around his love's waist.

The sunlight hit the spot directly, and all three were gone.

* * *

"_When we were young_

_We would laugh and play_

_We were the best of friends_

_But things do change_

_It is a different year_

_And everything is a different shade_

_Have you ever told someone_

_That you love them_

_And they heard not a word_

_You are everything to me_

_You are so very deaf_

_I love you_

_But you belong to someone else_

_Never me_

_Fall away_

_Fade away_

_Everything is gone_

_All the smiles_

_All the jokes_

_Just a waste_

_Can you not see_

_I told you that my heart is yours_

_But you handed it back_

_Strong and sturdy_

_I will go on_

_For thought you belong to her_

_And never me_

_I will hold on_

_We were so very young_

_And we are older now_

_Everything is different now_

_But I will hold on_

_And perhaps for one day more_

_We could be us_

_Perhaps we will be different then_

_Different bodies_

_Different voices_

_Different names_

_But perhaps we can find the answers_

_The ones I found too late_

_Perhaps we can find them anew_

_In time to stop this pain_

_I will hold on_

_To that frail hope_

_That one day more_

_You and I will be_

_And maybe_

_Just maybe_

_The two my blood belongs to_

_Can have their start anew as well_

_And all will be fine_

_Just one day more_

_Sometime soon"_

_-Written by: Uchiha Miyako, age 23. _

_Poem "To My Three Loves (Father, Mother, Lover)" taken from the collection __**And the Phoenix Rises**__, housed at the Uchiha Library. Donated to this project in honor of Konoha's anniversary by Uchiha Umeko with permission from the seventh Uchiha Miyako._

* * *

_**FINIS **_

* * *

A/N: And so 'Possession' is over. It's been a wonderful time writing this, and I have always loved the reviews I've been given. I really do think this turned out the way I wanted it to.

To **Kisaragi**: Yep! You were the only one to catch onto that. The titles all came from ending/opening themes for: InuYasha, Naruto, Fruits Basket, and Full Metal Alchemist. The exceptions to this are _Break, Petty Harbour, _and _Days of Phoenix Rising_. Well done, I was waiting for someone to notice.

My thank you list: **gare de lyon-ROAR, SpeedDemon135, SidiousSith, uchiha-sisters, JUCHKO, ahhmeii, talapadme, renyun, Kisaragi, Earwyn Telrunya, dark Alley, Kaze-Ink, Chocolate Chan, stoic-green, inn0cntdr3ameR, Goatis, The Reviewer Known as Name, lizzpercrush, kibaku0nendo, Hiei's Cute Girl, ninjakitty, and Selah M. Snow**

Thank you all so much for the support and patience. It really means a lot to me. I have no idea what else I should say. The poem in this was a revision from an older one I wrote years ago.

I hope you all enjoy this final installment of 'Possession'.

_Thank you,_

_Hikari Adams_


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